Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn
by RainthelingeringSentiment
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto sacrificed his life to protect the precious person but instead of going to the afterlife, Naruto finds himself face to face with the remains of a soul that was locked away deep within his own soul. A soul filled with fury and vengeance of a family and clan that was taken from him. How will this chance meeting change Naruto and will it be for better? AU Naruto/Harem
1. Chapter 1

Rain: Hello everyone! It is I, The lingering sentiment and it's time for me to do something I've been thinking about for a long…long time and that is to do a **_Naruto_** and **_Mortal Kombat_** crossover but I was trying to figure out how for the longest time and how I would go about it…But now I have and decided to do it a little differently than most would. So…I want you all to enjoy my new fanfic… ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

* * *

 ** _Summary:_** Uzumaki Naruto sacrificed his life to protect the precious person but instead of going to the afterlife, Naruto finds himself face to face with the remains of a soul that was locked away deep within his own soul. A soul filled with fury and vengeance of a family and clan that was taken from him. How will this chance meeting with the remains of his soul change him? AU Naruto/Harem

* * *

 ** _Pairings:_** Uzumaki Naruto/Harem

 ** _Genre:_** Drama, Adventure, Romance

 ** _Rating:_** This is an M rating through and through

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 ** _Disclaimer:_** I don't own anything that I may input from Mortal Kombat nor do I own Naruto. Now sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Mario: Here we go!

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

 ** _Chapter One: Dreams of the Dying_**

"Excuse me sir…You are resting on the herbs I need…"

Ocean blue eyes opened drowsily at the sound of the voice coming from above him and once they focused, the sight of a pale girl, no older than himself was staring down at him.

Uzumaki Naruto had just spent the entire night trying to walk up the bloody tree he was currently leaned up on and while he succeeded, he was plum tired from it

Naruto's face heated up from how pretty the girl was. Her chocolate brown eyes seemed to shine with warmth unfamiliar to him and add to the fact her onyx black hair was cascading around her shoulders, the bright green leaves from the trees behind her and the beams of sunlight coming through said leaves…He thought he had died and gone to heaven.

"Wow, you're v-very beautiful," Naruto stammered out, the blush on his face darkening significantly. The girl's face tinged pink from the compliment.

"T-Thank you Shinobi-san," she murmured, tripping up on her words, clearly taking by surprise by the compliment but then she smiled. Naruto laughed nervously and raised up from his resting spot and stretched out his limbs.

"So, what are you doing out here all by yourself?" Naruto asked after he lowered his arms. The mysterious woman explained that she was getting herbs for her wounded father.

"Well then, how about I help you out? No sense in leaving someone as beautiful as you to handle this alone," Naruto stated with a kind smile on his face, which caused the girl to return his smile shyly, pink returning to her cheeks.

"What is your name?"

Naruto pointed at his own chest with his thumb and said with a proud tone "I am Uzumaki Naruto. Konoha shinobi and the most unpredictable being on this planet! And what is your name?"

The female merely smiled up at him and said "Haku…Haku is my name and I'm just a simple flower girl from Wave."

* * *

 ** _Time Skip_**

 ** _One day later_**

"Why did you become a shinobi, Naruto-san?"

Naruto glanced at Haku's curious face. The two of them were currently sitting on the edge of a dock when Haku decided to ask this question out of the blue.

Naruto opened his mouth to give her the standard answer he gives anyone that asked that question.

 _"So I could become the Hokage! That way, everyone would have to acknowledge me!"_

But Naruto closed his mouth and stared out at the ocean before him. At first, that was his reason. He wanted to become a shinobi and then the Hokage because he was tired of being ignored and being treated as some freak.

He knew the reason why everyone treated him this way now but that didn't mean anything to him. He wanted to prove that he was not the Kyūbi no Kitsune to Konoha and that is why he was a shinobi.

But now things were different. He still wanted to be acknowledged by his village but now that was no longer the driving point of his shinobi career.

But what was his reason if not that?

"I…I honestly don't know anymore…" Naruto replied with a small sigh leaving his lips. "At first, I just wanted to be seen as me, instead of the outcast of my village but lately, I just feel lost…"

He saw Haku frown from the corner of his eye and silently, he felt her soft hands touch his face before they turned his head to face her.

"Naruto-san…Don't you have someone precious to you? Someone that you would be willing to fight and to die for?" Haku asked softly.

Naruto narrowed his eyes in thought before he replied "Well...Not really… I'm the outcast in my village. Everyone hates me for something I couldn't control…I don't really have anyone to fight for...Let alone die for…"

He could tell that Haku was not pleased with his words but he was being honest with her. Sure, he had some friends but they weren't really there for him when he needed them.

And one could say Iruka or Konohamaru but Iruka could always defend himself and Konohamaru was the Hokage's grandson. They didn't need anyone fighting or dying for them.

"Naruto-san…Maybe that is why you feel lost. You feel as if you don't have a purpose," Haku stated to him gently.

Naruto nodded at this, finding truth in her words but then he asked "Then can you help me find my purpose?"

Haku seemed stunned by this question but he then watched a tender smile form on her face.

"I'll be glad to assist…"

* * *

 ** _Time Skip_**

 ** _Four days later_**

Naruto was walking around Tazuna's village due to it being Sasuke's turn to watch over Tazuna with a large grin on his face.

It had been four days since he met Haku and so far, he had found himself really liking her. The two would met up every day in the forest to collect herbs for her father and just talk for hours on end until his sensei and teammates came wandering out to start their training.

He found himself telling her of all of his friends and fun times he had in Konoha and each time he managed to get a laugh from her made his heart skip a beat.

But while everything was going good for the two of them, Naruto still hadn't found that purpose Haku said he was missing.

"I won't give up hope though. I'll find my purpose sooner or later," Naruto said to himself with a grateful smile on his face but that's when he happened to come across Haku handing out soup to some of the starving children in the village.

Naruto watched her for a few seconds, clearly touched from the sight and decided then and there to do something special.

That's when Naruto noticed a large amount of many kinds of flowers growing in front of a long abandoned home and quickly went to work in pulling them out of the ground, cutting the roots off with his kunai.

He hide the modest sized impromptu bouquet behind his back and walked up behind Haku and said "Hey!"

He watched as Haku jumped and instantly turned around a lot quicker than a regular girl should but then when she him, she huffed and exclaimed "Ah! Naruto-san! You scared me!"

Naruto smiled while Haku glared at him with a small pout. "Sorry Haku-san. I couldn't help it. I don't get to scare people often," Naruto replied with a large grin on his face and a chuckle.

He saw that Haku was about to speak so without warning, he pulled the bouquet from his back and said "For you!"

He saw Haku's eyes widen in shock at the flowers while all the children around them began to giggle and whisper amongst themselves about this turn of events. "W-Wow…Naruto-san, what is this for?" Haku asked him softly, her face red.

"Well…I saw you feeding these kids and I decided you deserved something nice for doing it," Naruto replied with an earnest smile on his face.

Haku gingerly took the flowers from his hands and held them in her arms, clearly unable to reply briefly before she said "Thank you Naruto-san. I didn't do this just to get a reward…I did this to be able to help these starving people…It was the right thing to do."

"I knew that Haku-san but still, I wanted to give you something to show my appreciation for you doing this," Naruto replied before he muttered _"I just wish someone had done this type of thing to me sooner…"_

He knew Haku had heard his mutter due to the sadness that appeared in her eyes but before she could commit, Naruto masked his own sadness with a large smile and said "Move over, I'm going to help! No sense in leaving a pretty woman to do this all alone!"

Naruto realized right then and there that making Haku blush was going to be so much fun.

* * *

 ** _Time Skip_**

 ** _Three days later_**

"It's nice of you to walk with me on this night, Naruto-san," Haku told him with a small smile on her face, her hands clasped behind her back while Naruto's hands were comfortable in his orange jumper's pockets.

Naruto snorted at her words and responded with "When a beautiful girl asks if you wanna walk with them, you say "Yes" in an instant. That's what my friend Kiba always told me."

He heard Haku giggle beside him and he couldn't help but blush at the sweet sounding music she had just made. "If you continue to flatter me Naruto-san, I might start to believe it." Naruto instantly turned his head in alarm.

She didn't find herself beautiful?!

"You must be kidding Haku-san. You are very beautiful. Who would lie about something like that?" Naruto asked, his tone showing no amusement in her words.

Naruto watched as Haku's pace slowed to a stop as she lowered her head and said "You'd be surprised..."

Naruto didn't know what compelled him to do what he did but before he could stop himself, his hand gently caressed her cheek before he tilted her head up, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I am surprised because they must be blind as bats… I mean look at you! Silky, long black hair, pale skin, huge warm brown eyes and not to mention how nice you are, you are very beautiful," Naruto told her genuinely.

"Y-You continue to flatter…" Haku muttered but Naruto wouldn't let her finish.

"I'm not trying to flatter you Haku-san. I only speak the truth. I mean seriously! You're not only beautiful on the outside; you're beautiful on the inside as well. Ever since I met you, you have been doing nice things. Getting herbs for your father, feeding the kids of the village every single day and not to mention keeping the children's spirits up when stuff is going bad…You are amazing…"

"I-I don't feel amazing…I've done a lot of terrible things for my precious person…I just want to do something good for once," Haku stammered softly, making Naruto frown a bit.

What did Haku do that was so bad?

Naruto shook his head.

It didn't matter to him what she had done in the past. She was trying to make up for it now and that was all that matter.

"Heh, it doesn't matter. You did some bad stuff in the past. I don't know how bad it was but you being here and doing good is all that matters," Naruto said with a gentle smile on his face.

Naruto could see how grateful she was for his words in her eyes, which were now shining with unshed tears of happiness.

"Thank you…Naruto-kun," Haku whispered before she leaned up kissed his cheek, making the blond blush wildly but he could not wipe the smile from his face.

"I-It's no problem Haku-chan. Now come on…I can't wait for you to meet my team," Naruto murmured softly before he and Haku started to walk back towards Tazuna's house.

But this time, Haku's hand slowly grasped his own, causing him to look at her with a large grin on his face, which she returned with a shy smile.

But as he looked at her, he felt something in his heart shift to unknown territories…

But what did this mean?

* * *

 ** _Time Skip_**

 ** _Five days later_**

"And that's the last bowl of soup for today," Naruto said with a kind smile on his face as he handed over the final bowl to a small little girl in torn clothes.

The little girl took the bowl and gave Naruto a small hug around his waist and said "Thank you Whisker-kun!"

Naruto smiled and patted her head gently. "It's no problem at all. Gotta keep my favorite gal well fed."

The little girl's face lit up like a Christmas tree when he uttered those words and with another hard hug, the little girl ran away, leaving Naruto and Haku alone.

"You are too sweet, Naruto-kun," He heard Haku say from behind him. Naruto turned around and faced the smiling Haku and smiled at her words.

"Ah shucks, I just wanted to bring some light to her day. I'm glad it made her happy," Naruto replied while leaning on the wooden stand that Haku had created.

He noticed a wide smile overcome Haku's and it made a gentle smile appear on his face. "It seems it has made you happy as well," Naruto noted.

"It does…These children have seen so much pain and suffering. To be able to brighten their day like you did makes me uncontrollably happy," Haku replied as she sat leaned on the other side of the wooden stand.

Naruto remained silent for a few moments, his eyes gazing at the unfinished bridge that was nothing but a silhouette against the setting sun.

She was right.

These children had seen nothing short but pain and suffering when they were only supposed to know happiness and fun and it wasn't just the children.

Everyone in this village deserved to be happy…But instead, the ruthless tyrant had snuffed out their hope…Their dreams…And for what? Money? Power? It didn't matter what the reason was!

"Haku-chan," Naruto said suddenly, catching the attention of the girl across from him. "I realized what my purpose is…Why I want to stay a shinobi…"

From the serious look in Haku's eyes, he could tell that he got her attention and that alone gave him the strength to continue.

"This village has been suffering because of Gato and his army…Having to bend to his rules and live under fear. And for those who refused, like Kazuma, were killed to set an example…"

Naruto turned away from her to gaze at the unfinished bridge and said with a soft tone "Despite him being a shifty old drunk, Tazuna was the only one brave enough to want to see this village shine with hope and love again…He, and all of those who are building that bridge, are fighting against Gato to bring light back to this place, despite the dangers…The purpose I had before was selfish and only benefited me…But now? I want to be that light."

Naruto then turned back to Haku, who had mixture of happiness and sadness on her face and said "I want to be the light that ends the suffering…Not only for this village or even my own…but for the world…I want to be the light that shines even through the darkest of nights. That is my purpose."

"That is a wonderful purpose Naruto-kun…I'm proud that you took up such a noble purpose…" Haku said to him softly.

Naruto blushed at her words and gingerly took her hands into his and said "But I can't do it alone...I want you to help me bring that light as well…"

Naruto knew Haku was surprised by his words but instead of a look of happiness, Haku lowered her head and whispered _"I don't think I could be the light you want me to be…"_

Naruto saw a small tear escape her eyes and trail down her cheek and slowly, he bought up his left hand to wipe it away with a small frown on his face.

"Anyone can do good in the world Haku-chan…It doesn't matter what happened in the past," Naruto told her gently.

He watched as Haku looked up at him with a mixture of fear and hope in her eyes as she asked "Do you really think so? Do you really think I could be redeemed for all the pain I've caused?"

"I do," Naruto replied instantly, brushing away another tear that strayed from her eye. Haku gave him a breathtaking smile that made his heart skip a beat and that was when he realized the answer to another question Haku had asked.

 _"Naruto-san…Don't you have someone precious to you? Someone that you would be willing to fight and to die for?"_

 _'I think I do Haku-chan…And it's you,'_ Naruto thought to himself before he took the plunge and pecked her lips softly.

He felt her body seize up with shock the moment his lips connected with hers but before he gave her the chance to do anything, he pulled away with a reddened cheeks.

Neither of them said a word for what seemed like a lifetime before he noticed that a soft smile began to form on her face and just as he did before, she leaned up and kissed his lips, returning his affections.

* * *

 ** _Time Skip_**

 ** _One week later_**

"Haku-chan…I won't be able to help with the food stand tomorrow," Naruto whispered sullenly as he stared up at the crisp clear night sky, a frown on his face.

Haku, who had her head resting on his shoulder and her hand in his, remained silent. Despite only knowing her for two weeks and some change, he was able to read her like an open book and he could tell she was really upset about something.

She had been like this since the moment she showed up and no matter what Naruto said or did, she wouldn't open up to him at all.

So instead of waiting for her to respond, Naruto whispered "…I…I should be glad you know? When that scroll was delivered, my team was excited because all of this would be over and we would finally be able to go home and yet...I'm not…I'm not happy at all…"

Naruto sighed as he felt Haku's grip on his hand tighten but that didn't stop his words. "You have no idea how happy I have been here…Sure, I miss Konoha but here, I didn't feel like I wasn't wanted…Everyone, from the adults that joked around with me while me and my clones worked on the bridge, to the little kids that we fed…To you…All of you guys have been amazing to me…But once we defeat Zabuza and his partner…I'll have to leave here…Leave you…"

It was then that Naruto felt Haku move away from him in order to stand on her two feet, still completely silent.

For a moment, he thought he had said something wrong. That he was going to scare her away but when he saw her shoulders shaking and heard a sob leave her lips, he knew he had said the wrong thing.

But as he stood up after her, Haku said "I don't…I don't want you to go tomorrow…" Naruto felt his heart clench up at how upset she sounded but Naruto knew that this conversation would only get worse so he had to power through it.

"I have to…I can't let my teammates down…They need me there," Naruto responded, his hand reaching out to Haku's shoulder but the next words she said stopped him cold in his tracks.

"You don't understand…I don't want to fight you…"

"H-Haku? What do you mean by that?" Naruto questioned, clearly not understanding what she was trying to say.

Fight him?

Why did she not want to fight him?

Tomorrow, he would be fighting Zabuza and his partner.

What did she have to…do…with…it?

 _"No…"_ Naruto whispered, her words finally hitting him. _"P-Please…Don't tell me…"_ Naruto gasped out, his heart aching in both sorrow and terror as he stared at Haku's back.

"I have done a lot of bad things for my precious person…" Haku started, without turning back to look at the genin.

"Zabuza-sama took me in when my real father killed my mother and tried to kill me because of my Kekkei Genkai…He gave me purpose…and all I ever wanted was to be his tool…I wanted to fight for his ideals and his dreams…To die if he ever needed it of me…" Haku told him with a shaky voice, trying to keep the sobs at bay.

Naruto couldn't believe this.

Haku, the very same Haku he had been kissing and cuddling and helping feed the children day in and day out was Zabuza's accomplice? The very same accomplice that he would be fighting the tomorrow?!

"Why didn't you tell me?" Naruto asked her, a look of hurt on his face.

Haku she turned around to reveal the tears pouring down her face, causing Naruto's face to morph into a frown.

"I couldn't...No matter how many times I wanted to tell you, I couldn't! I was scared of hurting you…" Haku fell to her knees and sobbed into her hands.

"I didn't want any of this! I didn't ask for my heart to be taken by my master's enemy and yet here I am! Kneeling before my enemy, my heart solely in his hands…I-I've never been terrified like this before…I want to obey Zabuza-sama but I'm scared…I'm scared that I might have to kill you!"

Without stopping himself, Naruto's arms found themselves wrapping around Haku's slim form as she began to break down against him, his wet face burying itself against his neck and her arms wrapped around him as well.

"P-Please…" She uttered against his neck. "Don't go to the bridge…I don't want you to die…I've already lost so much…I can't lose you as well!"

But Naruto knew that despite her pleas, he couldn't abandon his team. Taking a breath, Naruto said "I don't want to fight you either and I don't want you to die but I can't allow myself to turn my back on my team. The same way I'm sure you can't turn your back on Zabuza…He saved you from possible death...That outweighs how you feel about me…"

Haku pulled away from him just enough where she was looking at him in his eyes and said "That's not true! Naruto-kun…I-I love you! I hate myself for feeling this way but I do! You have made the past two weeks colorful compared to how dull my life had been before! Zabuza gave me a purpose but you gave me love I thought I would never have!"

Naruto laughed sadly and replied "And my luck couldn't have been better…I finally find that person I would risk it all for before I have to fight her…"

"I don't know what to do anymore Haku-chan…I can't abandon my team but I can't fight you…I can't fight the person I love…I-It seems fate wants this to happen" Naruto told her with a broken look on his face.

"T-Then…I-If this is our fate, then I want us t-to be together…To be one…At least this one t-time…" And not a second later, Naruto found her lips claiming his in a hard, desperate kiss.

Naruto was blown away by his first kiss (Sasuke will never count) but he returned the kiss as much as he knew how, matching her desperation.

Naruto then found himself falling to the ground with Haku on top of them and then everything became a blur filled with the sounds of breathy moans, intense emotions and feelings that neither of them thought they could never have.

And by the end of this rush of wild emotions, the naked forms of Naruto and Haku rested side by side, their arms wrapped around each other and her head resting against his chest.

"Whatever happens tomorrow…I will always love you, Naruto-kun," Haku breathed out softly, her fingers intertwined with his own.

"And I will always love you, Haku-chan…" Naruto whispered.

 _'And no matter what happens tomorrow, the both of us will walk away alive…And together…'_ Naruto thought to himself as held her close to his body, a look of determination on his face.

* * *

 ** _Time Skip_**

 ** _Five hours later_**

The battle at the bridge had been an intense one from the get go. Sasuke and Haku had fought one on one while Kakashi and Zabuza done the same, leaving Sakura to guard the fearful Tazuna.

Sasuke had awakened his Dōjutsu, the Sharingan, and actually had an edge against Haku until she used her Kekkei Genkai to form the demon ice mirrors around him.

It was then Naruto leapt into the fray.

The intense battle between Sasuke and Haku had suddenly become more somber and heartbreaking as Haku said "You have arrived, Naruto-kun…"

"I was a little late but I couldn't let the Teme here fight you, Haku-chan," Naruto responded softly, ignoring the look of shock on Sasuke's face when he said her name.

"Dope…This is Haku? The same Haku that has eaten with us dozens of times?" Sasuke asked in horror, his hand shaking.

"The very same Teme…But you no longer need to fight her…I will take over from here," Naruto replied, his gaze leaving Haku's to glance at his teammate.

"I don't even want to know how this came to be but I can't leave you here on your own Dope," Sasuke said as he tugged a senbon out of his arm before he added "She's too tough for even me to deal with alone…Let alone you."

"Sasuke…Please…" Naruto asked again, his voice tinged in desperation. Sasuke seemed to get the hint (plus Naruto actually said his name for once, telling him how serious this was) and made his way out of the mirrors and to his surprise, Haku actually let him out of her jutsu.

Naruto turned to the image of Haku that was in the mirror near the top of the dome and said "Don't hold back…Because I won't…"

Haku nodded and pulled out three senbon and with that, the battle was on.

For ten agonizing minutes, Naruto had to withstand that storm of senbon that kept coming his way and no matter how many clones he threw at her, she was just too fast for him but he didn't give up.

Because he had a plan.

Outside of this dome, ten of his clones stood watch over Zabuza and Kakashi's battle and from what Iruka had told him about his clones is that any time one was killed, any information they saw would return to him.

So now it was time to use this to his advantage.

He was going to have the clones kill one another whenever something big happened during the Kakashi and Zabuza fight while drawing out his fight as well so if Zabuza was killed and she was still fighting him, Haku would have no reason to fight him and they could walk out together.

He knew that what he was doing was underhanded but this was the only way he could keep them both alive.

But after ten minutes of this, Naruto fell to his knees, dozens of senbons sticking out of his body, his own blood flowing from the needles and onto the bridge beneath him.

"P-Please Naruto-kun, don't stand up," He heard Haku plead as his breathing came out hoarse and weak. Slowly, Naruto forced himself onto his feet and panted heavily.

"I-I'm not done yet…" Naruto growled out weakly, his entire body shaking from the pain he was in but he would not allow himself to give in yet.

"K-Keep going," Naruto commanded, his vision blurring briefly before straightening out to reveal Haku charging towards him, three senbon clenched in her fists.

Naruto leapt forward and summoned a clone which pushed him away and took the senbons in the chest, leaving the real Naruto free to punch Haku in the jaw as hard as humanly possible, causing her mask to crack.

Naruto and Haku both slammed to the ground, neither of them willing to move. One out of pain of many needles in his body…And the other being unable to continue this fight further.

Naruto forced himself up to his knees and started to tug the various senbon out of his body while Haku continued to lie on the bridge, not bothering to move.

Naruto turned to Haku and pushed himself up to his feet but stumbled back to the ground hard. "W-Well…This isn't looking to good…" Naruto groaned out as he pushed himself off the bridge.

His legs were a bit numb but Naruto would force himself through it.

Suddenly, an image of two dogs holding Zabuza by the arms while Kakashi prepared some type of jutsu appeared in his head and it made Naruto grin slightly.

He just had to stall just a little bit longer.

Naruto got back on his feet and took three stumbling steps forward to Haku before he fell down to one knee but he was close enough to hear sobbing coming from behind her mask.

"Haku-chan…" Naruto said while he reached out to her and removed her mask, revealing her tear streaked face.

"I couldn't do it…" Haku said immediately, not caring if her mask was removed from her face. "Zabuza-sama told me to kill you but I couldn't…I couldn't kill you at all…I failed him but I…I am happy that I failed him, and that makes it so much worse."

Haku then turned to Naruto and asked "If I can't even obey my master's orders…How could ever help you in your cause to bring light to this world?"

Naruto could see how torn up she was about her love for him and the loyalty to her master. She looked so lost and scared that it made his heart hurt.

The sounds of chirping birds was heard echoing from the mist that was casted over the bridge and an image of Kakashi holding what looked like a damn ball of lightning in his right hand appeared in his head.

"Haku!" Zabuza suddenly shouted, causing Haku to clench her eyes shut, her hands covering most of her face.

"Don't go Haku-chan," Naruto said with a look of fear on his face, knowing that deep down, he wouldn't be able to stop her.

"I-I have to do it…I can't let him die…" Haku muttered with a sad smile on her face. Naruto felt her cold hands brush up against his cheek.

"Maybe it's better this way…I can fulfill my promise to be a better tool…And to make sure that you stay alive…" Haku whispered before Naruto felt her whisk past him as quickly as possible.

 _'No! I can't let that happen!'_ Naruto thought wildly as he twisted his body and attempted to run but he found himself slamming to the ground hard.

"Damn it!" Naruto shouted angrily as he slammed his fist against the concrete below him. He couldn't allow her to die!

This world needed kind hearted people like her in it!

He was just the village pariah who everyone hated! He had no future! He had nothing! What kind of man would he be if he couldn't keep the woman he loved alive?!

"I need to get up!" Naruto screamed as his fist slammed against the ground again, anger continuing to pour into his veins.

He needed to get up as soon as possible and nothing, not even his own body was going to make him quit! With a roar filled with raw determination, Naruto felt a fiery burst of chakra fill his veins.

The senbon that were trapped in his legs exploded from his body and the numb feeling he had in his legs were no longer there. Like a bat out of hell, Naruto charged through the mist as such a high speed, his feet were gliding over the ground.

The sound of the chirping birds was growing louder to his ears but it sounded like it was moving as well.

 _'Almost there! I have to stop it!'_ Naruto raged within his head as he pushed his speed to the highest level until his eyes gazed upon the image of Haku, standing in front of the limped armed Zabuza as Kakashi's lightning covered hand aimed at Haku's chest.

 _'Just one more push!'_ Naruto thought as a burst of chakra managed to get him between the arm and Haku herself.

Naruto had no time to breathe a sigh of relief however because a searing pain shattered his right shoulder blade all the way to his chest.

"Oh my god! Naruto!" His sensei screamed into his ear in horror at what he had just done but Naruto didn't care. All he was concerned about was Haku, who seemed to be horrified at him being in front of her at that time.

"Barely made it," Naruto wheezed out, blood dribbling from his mouth as he gave a weak smile towards the nuke-nin before him.

Naruto then felt the arm within his body being forcibly pulled out of his body, forcing his body to fall backwards to the ground with a wet, disgusting smacking sound.

"No! Naruto-kun! Haku screamed in horror as she fell to Naruto's side, tears pouring out of her eyes at the fact that Naruto had taken the bullet for her. "Why? Why did you do this?!" She demanded angrily, her hands clenching his torn orange jumpsuit.

"N-Needed to…do…i-it," Naruto wheezed out weakly, his eyes trying to keep focused on the teen before him.

Haku's forehead met his bloody jacket as she screamed his name in agony. Naruto was grateful for the loud scream because he was just going to drift off.

"Kakashi….sensei…s-sorry…" Naruto panted out, his eyes pupils fading in and out as he tried to stay as long as possible.

"Why did you do it Naruto?" Kakashi asked solemnly, unable to understand why he had done what he did.

For the enemy to boot.

"H-H-Haku-chan…Love…her," Naruto stated with a weak smile on his face, his skin now becoming pale. "S-She…nee…needed to s-stay…a-a-alive. She w-was t-t-t-torn between her lo…love of me and her loyalty t-t-to Zabu…Za…"

"Naruto-kun, y-you selfless fool!" Haku shouted angrily and helplessly as she looked at his bloody, pale face. "My life is meaningless! I failed Zabuza-sama…I failed you…I am a failure in every meaning of the word! W-Why sacrifice your life for me? A worthless tool?! Why Naruto-kun?! You deserved your life more than I ever did!"

Haku would have continued to rant if not for Naruto placing a hand on top of her head, causing her to stop speaking immediately.

"W…W-What good wou…would I be…If I-I-I let my precious….per..son die?" Naruto breathed out with a smile before he leaned his head back and let out a final breath, the last thing his eyes laid upon was the blue sky above.

* * *

 ** _Unknown Location_**

 _"W…W-What good wou…would I be…If I-I-I let my precious….per..son die?" Naruto breathed out with a smile before he leaned his head back and let out a final breath, the last thing his eyes laid upon was the blue sky above._

Hearing the water crashing around him as he laid on the wet sand beneath him, Naruto opened his right eye and groaned in pain, forcing his body to cooperate with what he needed by getting to his feet.

Rising to his feet, Naruto was surprised to feel that the injuries he sustained from earlier were no longer there but as he truly looked around, he felt something was wrong with this scene.

While the sun itself was glowing a faint fiery orange in the middle of the sky, the sky color itself was a midnight blue but the stars above were also fiery orange.

It was like staring at fireflies.

He had to admit, despite knowing something was wrong, he enjoyed the sight of the world around him.

The lake was crystal blue and the sand beneath his feet was white and not too hot and the island itself was very lush and green.

"But where am I?" Naruto asked himself.

"You are in my domain, Uzumaki Naruto…"

Hearing the unknown voice, Naruto turned to see a man with medium length black hair along with a medium sized beard but the thing Naruto noticed the most was the yellow and black garb that the man wore.

"Come…Join me in having some tea," The man told him, motioning the genin over with a motion of his head.

Naruto walked over to the sitting man and sat down across from him and said "Thanks. I didn't want to stand there too long…"

The man chuckled and poured Naruto some tea, which Naruto accepted and sipped. "It tastes good…" Naruto said with an approving smile on his face.

"It should. It was my mother's recipe," The man responded with a small chuckle. "But I have wasted enough time. You are in the realm between the living and the dead."

"Ah…I-I See…That's not easy to hear…" Naruto replied stoically. He really didn't know how to respond to knowing he was close to both life and death.

"So…What's keeping me alive?" Naruto asked softly.

"The demonic entity within you is working hard to save you. I must give it credit. It does not want to die," The man responded with a small shake of his head and a chuckle.

"Well at least it's good for something at least…But that also answers my question…I was going to ask if you were the Kyūbi."

The man laughed at this and shook his head. "I…I am a different being altogether…I was not aware that I would find myself in this position after a large percentage of my soul was recycled into yours…"

"Um…Explain…" Naruto said with a stare.

"Yes I shall," The man said as he stood up and looked at the sky. "My name is Hasashi Hanzo…And during my time alive and undead, I went by another name…My name was Scorpion and I, Uzumaki Naruto, am the remains of your old soul."

* * *

Rain: So how is that for a first chapter? Hope it was pretty good. Let me know what you guys think. Until the next one!

Mario: See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2

Rain: Wow…So many reviews….Thank you all so much. So I want to make something clear. Someone asked me through a PM as to which Scorpion is the one within Naruto. This Scorpion is the from Rebooted Storyline. It's now time for the second chapter so sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

 ** _Chapter Two: Netherrealm's Shinobi  
_**

"I…I am a different being altogether…I was not aware that I would find myself in this position after a large percentage of my soul was recycled into yours…"

"Um…Explain…" Naruto said with a stare.

"Yes I shall," The man said as he stood up and looked at the sky. "My name is Hasashi Hanzo…And during my time alive and undead, I went by another name…My name was Scorpion and I, Uzumaki Naruto, am the remains of your old soul."

Naruto had heard a lot of things in his life….But this was a new one.

This man before him stated that he was his old soul but that shouldn't be possible.

"How can that be possible? Naruto asked, distrusting of the man before him. "I was always told that every man has a soul unique to him."

Hanzo nodded in agreement then said "And that is true Naruto but what you don't know is that there is a balance. For every life that ends, another begins and whenever a new life is born, a new soul is created along with it while the life that ends has two destinations…the Heavens or to the Netherrealm or hell as you know it."

Hanzo crossed his arms and began to explain. "Normally, these two paths do not overlap, because as you said, a soul is unique to the new life but there is a small window that appears between the death of a being and the birth of a new being…And if it happens between that nano-second window, the soul of the recently deceased becomes reconstructed into a blank slate. At least…That was what should have happened…"

Naruto quirked an eyebrow, clearly wanting the man before him to continue.

"When I passed on, my soul was reconstructed into your own but somehow, I remained dormant deep within the recesses of the soul…Until now," Hanzo told the youth, a troubled look on his face.

"And…Well…That is something but you looked troubled about it," Naruto noted. "Shouldn't you be happy that you are back? I know I would be."

"I am troubled because this spells death for us both and not just physically," Hanzo replied sharply, his eyes narrowing down at the blond in front of him. "This meeting was never to happen. I'm sure I was to remain dormant until your passing where things would have progressed naturally but because I returned, it's causing our soul to fracture."

"That's bad…But how bad?" Naruto asked with a fearful tone in his voice.

"When a soul fractures for any reason, it only has ten minutes to heal that fracture before it becomes unstable until it shatters like glass. When that happens, the very existence of that being is wiped from the memory of every living person that being has ever met…But what happens to the shattered soul remains a mystery…" Hanzo replied with a stoic tone.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror at the words that were just spoken from his past life. Not only was this causing his body to die quicker but if that did happen, they would be erased completely?!

"That can't be! You said that a soul goes to heaven or hell. Not erased!" Naruto shouted, panic written across his face.

"Yes I did. "A" soul. Meaning one. When I was awoken, our soul split in half to accommodate my consciousness and a body cannot operate with a fractured soul," Hanzo replied instantly.

"But what about the Kyūbi?! It's a living, breathing demon inside of me! It has a soul! Can't it heal us enough for this to not happen?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"The Kyūbi…Although she has limitless amounts of chakra that can perform many miracles, her chakra cannot heal a fractured soul nor can her soul fill in the fracture," Hanzo answered, his eyes gazed upon the sky above.

"It seems the shattering is starting…" Hanzo noted cryptically. Seeing Hanzo staring up caused Naruto to look up at the sky and the first thing he noticed was that the orange sun that was in the sky previously had become a pitch black and within it was white spider web cracks within it.

And those cracks were spreading.

"So there is nothing w-we can do then?" Naruto asked, overwhelming sadness filling his heart as he watched the cracks slowly making their way from the sun and onto the sky around it. "We're stuck watching ourselves being sent to oblivion?"

Hanzo remained silent for a few moments before he said "Not quite…There is one thing we can do that can fix this…"

Naruto's hopeful eyes latched onto the man, his voice almost quivering when he asked "H-How? How can we stop this?"

Hanzo remained silent for what seemed like several lifetimes before he turned his head to look at the blond. "The only way we can fix this is to become one once more…"

"T-That's it? That sounds very simple! Do I have to fight you or something?" Naruto exclaimed, his voice now becoming stronger than it was previously but Hanzo shook his head slowly, dashing Naruto's hopes.

"What I mean by "To become one once more" It doesn't mean us fighting for control. In fact, fighting would only hasten the fracture, hence why I did not fight you immediately upon awakening. If that wasn't the case, you would be dead right now," Hanzo said with a wry smirk on his face before he became serious once more.

"Now that my consciousness has returned, it bought forth everything I was. My abilities, my skills, my personality and my memories…" Hanzo explained before he looked away from the blond.

"I introduced myself to you as "The remains of your old soul" but that is no longer true. I am now half of this new soul and you have become the same. If we combine, we will no longer be "Hasashi Hanzo" and "Uzumaki Naruto". We would become a new being altogether…" Hanzo finished, his head lowered to the ground.

Naruto merely shrugged and stated with an airy tone "That shouldn't be too bad then. I mean, you seem like a somewhat normal guy. How bad could your past really be?"

The moment those words left Naruto's mouth, Naruto felt something in the air change.

It was as if the heat was turned up in the entire area.

"You don't know the words that you speak…" Hanzo gravely whispered, his back turned to Naruto, who was confused by the older man's words. The heat around the area spiked up tremendously after Naruto spoke and for a moment, Naruto was confused.

Where was this heat coming from?

Just then, small amounts of fire particles began to rise into the air around Naruto and Hanzo, making the former look in alarm. Naruto didn't know what was going on but from the way it looked, it was like they were rising from hell itself.

Naruto turned to Hanzo, who was eerily quiet this entire time and was about to open his mouth when a large burst of flame erupted from out of Hanzo's body, causing Naruto to fly back onto the ground.

"What the hell is going on?!" Naruto shouted as the echoed roar of Hanzo was heard from the large tower of fire that had warped around the man.

Without warning, the fire quickly dispersed from around the man but when the figure turned around, Naruto received a shock

The figure was wearing two black and gold grieves which had a gold scorpion design along with baggy black pants that held a large silver belt with a skull in the middle of it.

Coming from beneath the belt was a gold colored sash with a gold colored metal trim that hung down to the figure's thighs.

The figure's chest had two thick wide gold armored straps that were across his bare chest and went down behind the belt (Which was presumably attached to the sash) but on both straps of armor were two lines of three golden spikes with a single spike underneath the two lines.

Also on the figure's chest were large chains that were attached to the shackles around the neck of the figure and the sides of the belt.

The figure also had his right arm, from his knuckles to bicep, covered in thin chains while the left arm bore a black metal gauntlet that bore a gold scorpion on it but when Naruto finally gazed upon the head, his stomach dropped.

Instead of the stern, masculine bearded Japanese face of Hanzo was the head of a complete skull and to make matters worse, the skull was on fire.

"What the hell are you?!" Naruto screamed, terrified of the image before him.

The figure began to walk towards him, the hellish fire around him licking and scorching the green grass beneath his feet as he screeched "I am revenge taken form. I am the result of destroying and rebuilding ones soul from the flames of the Netherrealm itself. I am the ultimate force in death and destruction….I am Scorpion! The undead wraith of Hasashi Hanzo!"

Scorpion grabbed the terrified Naruto by his jacket and got his face close to Naruto's own and shouted "You think, in your tiny human mind that what I've gone through was just "Rough"?! You do not know the words that you speak! I have battled mortals, demons, demi-gods and even gods themselves! I have died, been undead and returned to life! I have seen things that will make your soul weep for eons! I know pain that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemies…And you dare try to lessen the impact of my misery?!"

Naruto was so scared speechless that he couldn't even process the words coming from the undead Spectre's mouth.

All he could do was stare into the eyeless, flaming sockets of the skull before him.

"You are speechless before the image you see before you…Imagine being forced into this form! Imagine all that you know being stripped away from you through waves of agony, rage and despair by means of bathing in fires of hell! Imagine drowning underneath your own revenge as the screams of your wife and son as they are being murdered inside of your head repeatedly while you are unable to save them!"

"I-I can't!" Naruto screamed out, tears streaming from his face from both fear of the warrior before him as well as the pain coming from the echoing voice attached to said warrior.

The skull laughed darkly and replied "You will…" And with those words, the world around Naruto was enveloped by the hellish storm of flames but instead of being burned, Naruto found himself falling through the memories of Hanzo/Scorpion.

Naruto could see it all.

Naruto was forced to watch all of the happiness Hanzo had from the moment he was a small child to his time as a grown man and the leader of his clan, The Shirai Ryu with his beautiful wife Kana and his infant son by his side.

It was then Naruto watched as a bunch of warriors in blue stormed through the clan and kill everyone there. He watched Hanzo fought valiantly, but he was killed by the Lin Kuei assassin Sub-Zero, his head and spine ripped from his body. The last image Hanzo saw was the frozen corpses of his wife and child.

Naruto then watched as Hanzo was tortured and tormented for ages until the necromancer Quan Chi twisted and shaped the broken soul of Hasashi Hanzo in the flames of the Netherrealm to give birth to Scorpion, all while promising the spirit with helping him gain his honor and avenge his fallen clan and family.

With wide eyes, Naruto watched as the Thunder God Raiden urged Scorpion to defeat but not kill Sub-Zero, promising him that he would make a request to the Elder Gods to bring the Shirai Ryu and the hell spawn's family back to life but only if Sub-Zero remained alive.

Scorpion contemplated Raiden's offer of bringing his clan back to the world of the living, and eventually looked towards Raiden and silently nodded his consent.

Scorpion was finally confronted by his rival, Sub-Zero, who showed great disrespect to Scorpion and his clan's memory which enraged Scorpion, who immediately took both of them to the Netherrealm, where they engaged in combat.

In the end, Naruto saw that Scorpion emerged victorious and decided to spare Sub-Zero's life, only to have Quan Chi appear, ordering Scorpion to kill Sub-Zero. Remembering his bargain with Raiden, Scorpion refused, stating that Sub-Zero had been defeated.

But the necromancer decided that it was now the time to replay what happened to Scorpion and that proved to be effective because in gruesome detail, Naruto watched as Scorpion gained his vengeance on Sub-Zero, even as the cryomancer screamed his innocence.

And because of this, the deal between him and the thunder god was done. Scorpion was hardly satisfied and chose to continue fighting for Quan Chi.

Naruto spiraled through the years of horror that Scorpion had caused in the name of the necromancer who had molded him and all that Naruto felt while he watched Hanzo's life up until his final death was nothing short but violence, loneliness, self-loathing and it was hitting a huge target in Naruto's heart.

Despite the bright spots in Hanzo's life, such as Takahashi Kenshi talking him out of suicide and training his son, Takahashi Takeda, Hanzo always remained alone until his dying day…And that was a fate that Naruto wouldn't wish on anyone.

Suddenly, the flames around him faded away, to reveal Hanzo in front of him instead of Scorpion but the man seemed to have a look of concern on his face.

"I'm sorry. I lost my cool," Hanzo said calmly but the worry in his eyes were evident.

"N-No, don't be," Naruto said softly, trying to shake the ach in his heart. "It's funny…I was forced to watch everything about your past and yet…Despite the gore…The horrible images of hell and…other things, there was one thing consistent."

Naruto then lowered his head and whisper "You were always lonely…When you weren't being a dick with Quan Chi in the Netherrealm as Scorpion or training Takeda or having tea with Kenshi as Hanzo, You always sat there…All alone…mourning your wife and your son and loss of both iterations of the Shirai Ryu….You died that way…"

Naruto's voice seemed to waver in sadness as he added "The minute you died, I was born and I was alone…both my parents died during Kyūbi's attack before it was sealed inside of me…I don't have any family or clan. I really don't have friends that would stick with me through thick and thin…Up until recently, all I had were dreams of having a family with me…I guess what I'm trying to say is that…I'm sorry that I insulted you by making light of what you've gone through…And that you aren't alone…"

But as soon as Naruto said those words, he truly began to think that maybe he didn't want to go through with this after all.

Would it honestly be so bad for everyone to forget about him?

No one really cared if he was around in his village and no one really wanted to be his friend…He was truly alone in this world and seeing Hanzo's memories only amplified that loneliness.

If he were to die and his soul shattered, his village would forget all about him and just think that the Kyūbi had died instead of being sealed away inside of him.

And not to mention, instead of his birthday being a day of mourning and a day of chasing him down and trying to hurt him, Konoha would throw parades to celebrate.

And who knows what would happen to the Kyūbi if he died. He didn't know if the Kyūbi would die as well or just be sent back to hell but it…Well _she_ from what Hanzo said about her, would still be gone from this realm.

It just felt as if everything good would happen if Naruto had just died.

Seemingly unaware of Naruto's bitter thoughts, Hanzo lowered Naruto to the ground and chuckled softly. "Thank you Uzumaki Naruto…I just wish that taking you down my memories didn't cause the degradation of our soul to speed up seven minutes…" Hanzo said as he motioned to the sky above them.

The entire sky was now right and small pieces of the sky were falling down to the ground sporadically. "How?!" Naruto yelled harshly.

"That is my fault. Letting Scorpion take control burns my soul's energy. It always has. Because of our situation, it burned our time as well. We only have 3 minutes left," Hanzo replied through his aggravated sigh.

"Ok...So tell me something…You said that we will merge completely, right? Will it hurt?" Naruto asked as he faced the clan head of the Shirai Ryu.

"I won't lie to you, it will hurt. Despite being human during the end of that war against Shinnok, The hellfire of the Netherrealm still coursed through my veins. When we combine, it will rebuild you from the ground up but it will feel like your very soul is burning in a lake of lava," Hanzo answered.

"Well that's great…" Naruto muttered sarcastically with a troubled look on his face. Naruto was already on the fence due to his own dark and sad thoughts on the matter but hearing that made Naruto lean more into dying for good.

He had seen the agony Hanzo was in during his change into Scorpion and Naruto didn't have the strong desire to go through that pain.

He'd been in enough pain already.

Yeah, he had been in enough pain. From being alone every day of his life to being chased and hurt by the village he was born and raised in, Naruto was tired of it all…He was going to turn this down and fade away into oblivion…There was nothing left for him anyways…

Naruto began to open his mouth, going to refuse the offer, feeling as if this was the best option for everyone but then he heard it.

 _"P-Please Naruto-kun! Don't die! I need you! Please…"_

"Haku-chan…" Naruto whispered as he looked to the sky above, unaware that Hanzo's eyes widened from shock.

 _"I can't let you die for my mistakes! I can't…Please Naruto-kun!"_ Haku sobbed out, her voice coming as an echo from the falling sky above.

"She…She sounds like her…Kana…" Naruto heard Hanzo say in disbelief, his own voice choking up at the sounds of her cries.

Haku…The reason Naruto was going through all of this in the first place.

Naruto knew that from their night together and from her struggle during their battle to obey her master but not wanting to hurt him...And he remembered how heartbroken she had looked when he took his sensei's attack. She looked as if her entire world ended when he faded away.

He had a chance to go back and make her happy and he was going to lose that chance because of his feelings. He couldn't do this to her!

Even if no one else cared for him, she did and that was all that mattered.

Naruto couldn't make the same mistake Scorpion had made when Raiden offered to bring back his family and clan. He made a promise to not only her but to the village of Wave as well to save them, and to be the light of hope they needed in his time of darkness and

He can't let them down…And he couldn't let her down either.

Steeling his resolve, Naruto gave a small smirk and stated "…I don't think that will be any problem, Hanzo. I actually expected that could happen considering us merging everything but I do have to say, being reborn by the flames of hell…Talk about something you never expected to say in my lifetime. Well, any other side effect that could occur?"

Hanzo seemed extremely distracted, possibly due to Haku's sobs which were still being heard above them but Naruto watched as he shook himself from his stupor and answered with "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Naruto asked, stunned by this admission from Hanzo.

Hanzo sighed at this and said "Despite learning all of this from Ermac after Kenshi converted him to our side, I never got into the specifics. I never thought this could happen at all…but I do know this. When we merge, every last detail about us will come together. Now I do not know if my personality will overpower yours or vice versa. All I know is that if we don't do this now, we will never get another shot," Hanzo stated before he held out his right hand.

"I don't think shaking hands will solve anything," Naruto said with a blank expression.

At that moment, Naruto felt the return of the intense heat returned along with the fire particles beginning to float up from around them, making Naruto a little wary, considering the last time this happened, he was looking at a flaming skull.

"I'm not holding out my hand for a handshake," Hanzo said with a serious look on his face. Naruto then saw a lick of fire shoot around Hanzo before an aura of fire formed around him.

"I'm preparing myself for the merging of our fractured soul…I don't know what will happen from here on out but we will see this through…Unless you'd rather back out now" Hanzo said with serious look on his face.

"Truth be told, I don't like the idea of coming out of this as someone new but it beats being erased from all existence and other unknown factors… whatever happens, I get to see Haku-chan again and I get to keep my promise to her and the people of Wave and that is all that truly matters!" Naruto shouted and clasped his hand with Hanzo's outreached hand.

The moment their hands connected, the fire roared to life around the two of them before making a full circle around them but before the fire fully engulfed the two of them, the last thought running through Naruto's pure mind was _'Don't worry Haku-chan…I'm coming back to you…I promise…'_

* * *

Rain: And that is the end of this chapter. Yeah it's a little short but a lot of info was shared here. So I hope you guys enjoyed the show and until the next chapter…

Mario: See you next time!


	3. Chapter 3

Rain: Man…So many reviews! Again, thank you all so much for this. I truly appreciate it. Now, it's time to get busy!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

 ** _Chapter Three: A New Challenger  
_**

Kakashi had seen many things in his day.

He had seen his father's dead body.

He had seen the horrors of war.

He had seen his teammate's blood on his hands after he struck her down with his Raikiri

But the one thing he had never seen before was one shinobi sacrifice their life to save their enemy. And to make it stranger, the enemy was currently sobbing into his chest.

"Kakashi….sensei…s-sorry…" Naruto panted out, his eyes pupils fading in and out as he tried to stay as long as possible.

Unfortunately, the shinobi that had done it was his student…The small child he had watched over since the early days of his ANBU career.

Uzumaki Naruto.

"Why did you do it Naruto?" Kakashi asked solemnly, unable to fully understand why his student had taken the blow for his enemy.

"H-H-Haku-chan…Love…her," Naruto stated with a weak smile on his face, his skin now becoming pale.

Kakashi's eyes widened at this admission, able to connect the dots that were left by his dying student.

He turned his head to the mask apprentice of Zabuza, who had removed their mask to reveal the kind girl Naruto had introduced them to one day.

Kakashi thought she was a pretty nice gal when his student shyly introduced her to him, as if he wanted his approval.

Which Kakashi found as cute.

But now he was furious at the fact that the person Naruto spoke about endlessly was the one who had led to his student's foolish decision.

"S-She…nee…needed to s-stay…a-a-alive. She w-was t-t-t-torn between her lo…love of me and her loyalty t-t-to Zabu…Za…" Naruto said, pain filling his voice, causing Kakashi to leave his mind and look at his dying, dorky student.

"Naruto-kun, y-you selfless fool!" Haku shouted angrily and helplessly as she looked at his bloody, pale face.

"My life is meaningless! I failed Zabuza-sama…I failed you…I am a failure in every meaning of the word! W-Why sacrifice your life for me? A worthless tool?! Why Naruto-kun?! You deserved your life more than I ever did!"

Kakashi was always a good at spotting liars from those telling the truth. He was just as good as his good friend, Mitarashi Anko, who was a good judge herself so seeing Haku's mannerisms and hearing her heartbreaking tone of voice told him that she was genuine in her feelings.

But then again, she was working with Zabuza of all people, who possibly taught her how to lie so seamlessly, that she could even fool himself or Anko, if they ever met.

Kakashi watched as Naruto placed a hand on top of Haku's head, which caused her to stop speaking immediately and look up at him, her tears still flowing.

"W…W-What good wou…would I be…If I-I-I let my precious….per..son die?" Naruto breathed out with a smile before his head slumped back and his pupils fading away.

Kakashi kneeled down and said a gentle prayer as he shut Naruto's eyelids for him, his own heart howling in sorrow.

He had watched this child grow into the dorky genin he had been and while he was unable to always be there, he always made sure that Naruto was protected as much as he could be without revealing the Hokage's favoritism to the youth.

Kakashi could remember every birthday cake he had snuck into the youth's home and the random gifts he would leave when the boy was sad. He could remember sitting in his corner as Naruto decorated his home or even held the child as he slept away the sadness he felt.

No longer would Kakashi see those vibrant blue eyes staring up at him with some random ramen fact. No longer would he see his student become indignant about his height…No longer would he see his student's dream come true.

He was gone.

Kakashi's sorrow morphed into fury as his eyes fell upon the sobbing form of Haku and asked "Is this what you desired?"

Haku continued her sobs, as if she hadn't heard his anger above her own sadness.

And this only made the copy-cat shinobi angrier.

But before anything could be done by him, the deep voice of Zabuza rang out. "Haku. I do not know what is going on but we have a mission to finish."

Once again, Haku continued on, making Kakashi pause. Naruto had said it himself, Haku was torn between obeying her master and her love for Naruto, which Kakashi didn't believe was true.

But if she was actively ignoring the man she was willing to sacrifice herself for, for the now dead genin, there was something there.

"Haku," Zabuza said, his voice coming out forcefully. "We have a mission to fini-"

"To hell with the mission!" Haku had shouted, shocking both Kakashi and Zabuza, but probably more Zabuza than himself.

"Haku, do you know who you are speaking to like that?" Zabuza stated, an angry scowl being seen beneath his mask.

Haku remained silent as Zabuza continued to speak, his voice thick with anger. "I am the one who took you in when you were just a small beggar on the streets. I trained you to be my tool and I command you to remove yourself from the dead shinobi."

Kakashi watched as Haku kissed the lips of Naruto before she slipped on her mask, as if she was masking the fear of disobeying her master, and stood tall before she turned around and said "Y-You're right…You found me after my father killed my mother and I killed him…You taught me all that you knew and put me through hell…You raised me to be an emotionless tool…"

Kakashi noticed that her voice remained gentle, almost sad as she revealed her past out in the open but she continued before he could dwell on it further. "I followed you, at first out of obligation for you saving my life and giving me purpose but soon…I started to look at you as a father…But all you saw me was as a tool.."

Kakashi saw an unfamiliar emotion behind Zabuza's eyes but they quickly vanished, replaced by a cold, unflinching look. "That is what all Shinobi are Haku. A means to an end for anyone that needs us. You are no different."

"Naruto thought I was different!" Haku snapped, anger filling her voice immediately, which once again shocked Kakashi and Zabuza. "All he wanted was for me to be at his side to fight for the light of this world! Not as a tool, not as someone beneath him, but as his partner!"

Kakashi saw Haku's hands raise to her chest, her head looking away from Zabuza and said "Naruto believed in me…Despite all of the evil that I had done as your tool, he believed that I could help him! Even when I lost that faith in myself! And with him gone, I won't let his promise go in vain!"

Kakashi heard the pain in her voice as she screamed at the man she viewed as a father and even more of it when she mentioned Naruto's passing and hearing that made the anger in Kakashi's heart die out.

She was sincere about her feelings for him.

There was no longer any doubt about it.

"What are you saying Haku?" Zabuza whispered angrily, Kakashi noticing that his enemy's eyes were glowing with the negative emotion inside them.

"I'm saying that as much as I care about you, I can't allow you to interfere in my new mission," Haku said, her voice becoming stronger to Kakashi's ears. "I am no longer your tool. For Naruto, I will fill this world with light! Where no shinobi…No…No _human_ should think of their fellow man as mere tools!"

Zabuza let out a scathing laugh at Haku's declaration and said "So you are truly willing to leave my side over a brat you met in such a short amount of time? How foolish! The kid is dead. Do you think it matters that you keep his dream?"

Zabuza leaned his battered body against the steel railing of the bridge and said "The kid sure did brainwash you eh? He filled your head with such flowery, naïve words and you ate it up like a damn idiot. Haku, you live in a world that is grim and dark. This world will swallow you whole and lead you to your death…Like it did him."

* * *

 ** _White Void_**

 ** _Unknown_**

Agony.

Torture.

Torment.

That was the feeling he was going through right now.

His body was feeling as if molten lava from hells core was being pouring into every pore that existed on his body.

Why was he going through this seemingly endless suffering?

That's right.

His soul was becoming one once again but the pain that was expected was so below the threshold that he felt that tearing out his eyeballs would lessen the pain of the eternal hellfire that was being poured into the deepest core in his body.

It was as if his soul was being burnt into ashes and reformed at the same time and at first, the pain was horrifying but each time the flames lessened, he hardened so the next batch of hellfire, he would be able to withstand it longer before crumbling into ashes.

The sounds of his own screams surprised him as he felt his body crackle underneath the flames that fell down and around him.

He knew that this pain would be worth it.

He would not give up now…Not when so much was on the line.

He would become stronger…And the flames that created him will bring a new light into the world of shinobi.

* * *

 ** _Wave Village_**

 ** _Hatake Kakashi and Momochi Zabuza_**

"He died because he didn't w-want me to die for you!" Haku responded, her voice coming out sad and yet enraged at the same time. "He sacrificed his life because he knew how much you meant to me and yet you talk down about him like a mere roach. I won't allow you to disrespect him after his sacrifice."

"So what will you do Haku? Will you fight me? The man who saved you from certain death…From a kid who was stupid enough to fall for his enemy?" Zabuza asked with a grave tone in his voice.

Haku silently shook her head and kneeled beside Naruto as she replied "I am no longer your tool. Out of respect for what you have done, I do not wish to fight you, nor kill you. I just want you to leave me here."

"I don't think I can let either of you go. Gato hired you both to kill Tazuna. There is no way I will allow you two to go without knowing if Tazuna is safe," Kakashi suddenly said to the two of them, a confused frown on his face.

Haku and just abandoned Zabuza and Zabuza hadn't blown up or gotten angry. Instead, Kakashi noticed that Zabuza was staring the young female but that look that was in his eyes, Kakashi noticed it once more but it was so strong, he could finally realize what it was.

Pride.

Zabuza looked at Haku with pride.

But why?

"Very well Haku," Zabuza said with a nod. "You wish to leave, I will allow it. You are no used to me as a tool anyways. You failed to do what you were trained to do anyways…And that was to have a cold heart…"

Kakashi could tell from Haku's body language that she was upset by Zabuza dismissing her as his tool but then it became strong.

Haku kneeled next to Naruto's body and replied "Zabuza-sa-…Zabuza-san, the moment Naruto-kun stepped on this bridge, I knew I couldn't fight and kill him or his team."

Kakashi opened his mouth to speak but a weasel sounding voice coming from the distance was heard saying "Such a sad conversation, Zabuza-san. So I assume that you couldn't complete your mission, Demon of the Hidden Mist?"

Kakashi watched as the mist dissipated, revealing Gato and a large band of thugs behind him, telling Kakashi that a double cross was coming for his enemy and from the look of realization and then rage, Zabuza understood as well.

"So…The business man grows a spine, eh?" Zabuza stated, a mirthless chuckle leaving his lips. "I should have known it would come at a bullshit moment but it seems when it rains…"

"It pours," Kakashi muttered with a frown on his face, interrupting Zabuza. "So you are the man we are here to stop? Expected you to be taller."

Gato gritted his teeth but then he smirked and replied "And I expected you and your rotten shinobi to be dead. But we can't all get what we want. Well, at least at the moment."

Kakashi and Zabuza traded glances before the two narrowed their eyes at the smaller man as the latter said "You failed in getting rid of all but one of these maggots so I have decided to terminate our deal…And allow a suitable replacement for you."

"He sounds so smug," Kakashi grumbled to himself as he narrowed his eyes, realizing he was becoming weaker due to the overuse of his Sharingan.

"So it seems you betray me. Good. I finally get to do what I planned to do from the start and kill you," Zabuza stated with amusement dripping from his voice before he asked "Who is the fool that protects you from my blade?"

"I am," A deep, almost echoing voice answered Zabuza's question. The crowd of thugs seemed to part as a 7ft tall male with blood red armor which had a black gi above it, with the sleeves torn from it with black gloves. walked through the middle of the parted group.

Kakashi noticed that the man has light brown eyes and his blood red armor extended all the way to the bottom half of his face, covering it up.

He also noticed that underneath the red armor, the man wore a white cloth which also covered both sides of his face and the top of his head.

The mysterious man also wore a red conical straw hat which was known as a "Kasa" (which looked to be the same material as the red armor) over the white cloth and he also seemed to be wearing what seemed to be a bronze-colored ring around his neck which he wears over his red armor.

Also, the armor covering his arms and torso is plated.

But the main thing Kakashi noticed was that the man was wearing an Iwagakure forehead protector on a black cloth.

"Let me introduce, Jōki no Oni, (Demon of the steam), Han! A very powerful shinobi from Iwagakure no Sato and he has taken on the mission of protecting me and killing all of you," Gato stated with a loud laugh.

"I always have a back-up Zabuza-san. And this one will be the end of you," Gato stated before he chuckled cruelly. "And I will enjoy watching you all die."

Kakashi let out a harsh scoff and stood tall and replied "You think adding him will stop my team and I from completing our mission? Trust me; it'll only make me angrier and that makes me more determined."

"Kakashi," Zabuza stated with a smirk. "Looks like since my contract has been ended, I no longer need to fight you…"

"Well that is all well and good but now we have a new problem…Do you mind the team-up of the desperation variety?" Kakashi asked with a nonchalant tone, despite the severity of the situation.

"I would like nothing more…My arms are weakened but thankfully not broken. I should still be able to wield Kubikiri Hōchō just at half power," Zabuza growled out as he picked up his blade from the ground and held it at his side.

Kakashi could see Zabuza's arms shake under the weight of the blade as well as the blood dripping from multiple wounds on the man's arms but he would not denounce his strength now.

"I will assist in this as well."

Kakashi and Zabuza looked back and saw Haku walking in the middle of the two, her voice as cold as the elemental Kekkei Genkai she wielded.

"Haku…" Zabuza breathed out, his eyes narrowed at the female nuke-nin.

"I may not be your tool but Naruto-kun died wanting to liberating this village and Gato is the one in the way. I will start his dream by ending the very mission that gave him this dream," Haku stated as she pulled out her senbon.

Kakashi nodded and said "Trust me, the more, the merrier. We are going to need all the help we can get outside of my squad protecting Tazuna." Kakashi had noticed, with pride of course, Sasuke and Sakura in the distance standing with the scared Tazuna behind them.

He didn't even have to tell them to do it.

So…Three against one," Kakashi heard the armored Iwa shinobi state before he chuckled lowly. "You all should have bought more men."

Zabuza scoffed and said "Save your bravado for the demons in hell!"

"Let's begin!" Kakashi shouted before he, Haku and Zabuza launched themselves towards the imposing armored shinobi from Iwa.

But if any of them had noticed, the border around Naruto's wound began to glow a dull fiery reddish-orange.

* * *

Rain: So this chapter dealt more with the fallout of Haku, Zabuza and Kakashi as well as a new enemy that will play a huge roll in this story. Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter in the reviews. Until the next time!

Mario: See you next time!


	4. Chapter 4

Rain: Man, this is nothing short of amazing. Thank you all so much for the reviews so let's relax and get this show on the road!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

 ** _Chapter Four: Steam Powered Force! End to the battle on the bridge!_**

"Kakashi," Zabuza stated with a smirk. "Looks like since my contract has been ended, I no longer need to fight you…"

"Well that is all well and good but now we have a new problem…Do you mind the team-up of the desperation variety?" Kakashi asked with a nonchalant tone, despite the severity of the situation.

"I would like nothing more…My arms are weakened but thankfully not broken. I should still be able to wield Kubikiri Hōchō just at half power," Zabuza growled out as he picked up his blade from the ground and held it at his side.

Kakashi could see Zabuza's arms shake under the weight of the blade as well as the blood dripping from multiple wounds on the man's arms but he would not denounce his strength now.

"I will assist in this as well."

Kakashi and Zabuza looked back and saw Haku walking in the middle of the two, her voice as cold as the elemental Kekkei Genkai she wielded.

"Haku…" Zabuza breathed out, his eyes narrowed at the female nuke-nin.

"I may not be your tool but Naruto-kun died wanting to liberating this village and Gato is the one in the way. I will start his dream by ending the very mission that gave him this dream," Haku stated as she pulled out her senbon.

Kakashi nodded and said "Trust me, the more, the merrier. We are going to need all the help we can get outside of my squad protecting Tazuna." Kakashi had noticed, with pride of course, Sasuke and Sakura in the distance standing with the scared Tazuna behind them.

He didn't even have to tell them to do it.

"So…Three against one," Kakashi heard the armored Iwa shinobi state before he chuckled lowly. "You all should have bought more men."

Zabuza scoffed and said "Save your bravado for the demons in hell!"

"Let's begin!" Kakashi shouted before he, Haku and Zabuza launched themselves towards the imposing armored shinobi from Iwa.

Kakashi was the first to meet Han straight on, his right fist colliding against the right forearm of the armored shinobi but Kakashi quickly found himself being socked in the jaw, causing Kakashi to soar past Zabuza, who began to swing his blade from his side towards the Iwa nin.

Han sidestepped the first wide swing of the Kubikiri Hōchō then ducked the second swing before kicking Zabuza in the stomach , sending Zabuza skidding backwards but before Han could follow-up, Haku leapt over Zabuza with five senbon clutched in her hand.

With a flick of her wrist, the five senbon flew towards Han but the Iwa shinobi disappeared in an explosion of steam.

Haku landed on the ground and was quick to maneuver from side to side to avoid the quick jabs of the Iwa shinobi but she failed to block the rather quick kick that struck her stomach, sending her flying towards a running Kakashi.

Kakashi leapt over Haku while quickly forming a few seals before shouting "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Great fireball Jutsu)"

Han eyed the giant fireball that was shot from Kakashi's mouth and couldn't help but chuckle as he slipped his right hand into his gi and with a burst of steam from the furnace attached to his armor, Han muttered "Futton: Jōki Domū (Boil style: Steam Dome)"

The steam around Han quickly whipped up around him into a hazy orb around him as Kakashi's jutsu slammed into the orb, clashing wildly.

The fire began to wrap itself around the dome before both the fire and the steam faded away, leaving Han standing in the middle of a medium sized crater, on the patch of cement that was within his technique.

"Is that all?" The shinobi questioned much to the ire of all three of his opponents.

"Hn, far from it," Zabuza growled out before he shouted "Haku!"

Despite wanting to separate from the man who had saved her, Haku knew that this was a serious situation and she would need to put that aside to assist them in this battle.

Without missing a beat, the two nuke-nin began to form several seals before the two ended in unison. "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu)/Hyōton: Hyōryū no Jutsu! (Ice style: Ice Dragon Jutsu)!" Zabuza and Haku shouted before their respective dragons came into existence.

Seeing this made Kakashi smirk as an idea formed into his head. "Let's put my affinity to use!" Kakashi shouted as he formed his own hand seals before he exclaimed "Raiton: Ikazuchiryū no Jutsu! (Lightning Style: Lightning Dragon Jutsu)!"

The three elemental dragons soared towards Han and began to meld together and Han was momentarily surprised by this ingenious move.

But a massive amount of steam came from his furnace and with a smirk, he shouted "Futton: Nōmitsu Jōki Domū (Boil style: Dense steam dome)!"

The multi-elemental dragons clashed against the enhanced steam dome and for a moment, the dome seemed to start to weaken against the triple threat but without warning, both the ice dragon and water dragon swirled around the dome before evaporating completed, leaving the lightning dragon, which quickly died away as well.

Zabuza, Kakashi and Haku's eyes widened in shock at how their attacks broke down against the dome but they quickly became uneasy at how the dome remained swirling around the Iwa nin, compared to the last time.

That uneasiness soon turned into horror as the steam from the dome began to thicken and swirl wildly until a large white dragon was seen swirling around Han's relaxed form. "…Futton: Kaonryū no Jutsu (Boiling Style: Heat Dragon Jutsu)

With a point, the dragon roared and launched towards the three shinobi. Haku immediately formed another set of seals and said "Hyōton: Makyō Hyōshō! (Ice Style: Demonic Ice crystal mirror)!"

A large dome of ice mirrors appeared to surround the three but then Haku shouted "Hyōton: Makyō Hyōshō Kyūtai (Ice Style: Demonic Ice crystal mirror sphere)!"

The mirrors quickly enclosed around the three, leaving no crack between them as Han's technique slammed into them hard, causing the entire sphere to shake but their opponent's attack quickly dispersed.

"Ok…This is not going so well," Kakashi panted out in exhaustion, falling down to one knee. Zabuza agreed and leaned against his blade, panting as well.

"Yeah," Zabuza agreed, shaking the feeling back into his arms. "I can see why Kiri wants his head on a pike. He's damn near invincible with his Futton…Even Mei would have a hard time with him."

Kakashi grunted in response.

It didn't take a genius to realize that the only reason the two of them were so beat was due to being low on chakra from not only their own battle with each other but also due to launching some of their strongest techniques.

Only Haku seemed well off in terms of chakra but who knew when that would last.

Their opponent's steam was giving him unnatural abilities and because of this, not only was Han able to defeat his jutsu on its own but he was able to defeat the unified force of Haku, Zabuza and himself as well.

And despite being close to blacking out from chakra exhaustion, their attack should have been able to take him out.

If that steam was able to do all of that, would his Raikiri even work?

 _'Only one way to find out,'_ Kakashi growled out mentally, momentarily shutting his left eye to reserve some sort of energy as he popped a soldier pill into his mouth, which gave him enough of a boost to summon one final Raikiri.

He didn't want to use this technique but he had no choice at this rate. The Iwa shinobi was a tough competitor and they needed to take him down.

"Alright…I have a plan," Kakashi said with a harsh cough. "I only have one more Raikiri in me before I'm completely tapped out and no use to you guys…But I need a few seconds to prepare."

"I'm surprised you're willing to use that again after killing your student with it," Zabuza replied coldly, making Kakashi flinch at his words.

"I don't want to do it but it needs to be done," Kakashi stated with narrowed eyes towards Zabuza.

Zabuza scoffed and said "I'll give you the time. Haku, keep the sphere around Kakashi until the very last second."

"Understood Zabuza," Haku responded, her voice controlled despite her heart hurting from the still open wound of Naruto's death.

But as Zabuza turned around, the mirror before him cracked before exploding completely, revealing the fists of their opponent.

Zabuza swiftly lifted up Kubikiri Hōchō and managed to get the blade to protect his chest as well as Kakashi's mere seconds before the fists slammed into them, sending them both through the ice mirror behind them.

Han came skidding into the middle of the mirrors, his body exuding the steam that had been built up within his armor but Haku quickly flew into the mirror and replaced the broken ice mirrors instantly.

Han looked around and chuckled as he faced multiple images of Haku within the ice mirrors around him and asked "Do you truly think that you can stop me with a dome of ice?"

Haku held up a small kunai with her right hand and muttered "We're about to find out…"

* * *

 ** _Hatake Kakashi and Momochi Zabuza_**

"Sensei, are you ok?"

Kakashi groaned as he leaned up from the ground with Sakura kneeling on the left side while Sasuke held a kunai against the downed Zabuza's throat a few feet away.

Despite being shielded by Zabuza's sword, the two of them were sent far down the bridge by the punch of Han and Kakashi hadn't realized how powerful that punch was until he saw Sakura's green eyes staring down at him in concern.

Kakashi gave his female student an eye smile and said "I am fine Sakura-san but thank you for asking." Kakashi then turned his head to Sasuke and said "You can move, Zabuza is no longer an enemy."

He could see a shocked look appear on Sasuke's face and for a moment, Kakashi was unsure if Sasuke would obey but the genin did and not a second later, Zabuza nailed the boy in the stomach.

"Zabuza!" Kakashi yelled in outrage at Zabuza hitting his student. "We are on the same side! You have no right hitting my student!"

"Your student had a kunai to my throat. He is very lucky I didn't kill him," Zabuza responded coldly as he leaned up off the ground before he said "Tch, that damn Iwa shinobi knocked us all the way here near the start of the bridge."

"Yeah…Despite the mirrors Haku made to slow down our flight," Kakashi muttered as he got up on his feet. "We need to hurry. Who knows how long Haku can stand up to him…"

"Haku…" Sasuke muttered, causing Kakashi's eyes to glance at the genin. "Haku….The girl Naruto bought to dinner that night! She's the one I was fighting earlier before Naruto told me to leave. What does she have to do with this? Why are you not fighting Zabuza? And where the hell is the dope anyways? He should be helping us guard Tazuna."

Kakashi turned to Zabuza and said "You go ahead. I'll catch up soon." Zabuza scoffed at this and quickly dashed away, leaving Kakashi alone with his remaining students and Tazuna (Who had fainted due to exhaustion and fear).

Kakashi was going to ask how they didn't know about Naruto but Kakashi quickly realized that the fog was truly thick and they were far away enough to not see what had happened to the blond but not far enough for him to not sense their chakra signatures.

He decided that he would let them in on to why he was helping Zabuza and Haku but he wanted to avoid telling them about Naruto until the mission was complete. "Gato betrayed Zabuza during our battle and bought a strong shinobi to kill us all. Because of this, Haku, Zabuza and I teamed up to stop him."

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other in alarm at what they had missed by being back here but then Sasuke shook his head, stepped forward and said "Alright then, if this shinobi is stronger than you guys, then I'll come with to help."

"There's no need Sasuke," Kakashi replied. "The three of us are strong enough to handle it. You two continue to protect Tazuna…" Kakashi then looked at the unconscious form of the man and added, rather sheepishly "Well…his sleeping form."

"Then how did you two get down here in the first place?" Sasuke asked with a sour frown, making Kakashi frown as well. "You and Zabuza don't look the coward type and plus Haku is not with you, making me think you two were knocked all the way back here. Come on Kakashi-sensei, I can help."

"No," Kakashi said sternly, a little peeved at Sasuke's refusal to accept his orders. "You will remain here with Sakura to protect Tazuna at all costs."

"You tell me to stay back and yet Naruto is missing as well. Is he up there helping Haku?" Sasuke asked with a scowl on his face, making Kakashi hide a wince from him at the mention of Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura spoke up softly, causing both Kakashi and Sasuke to look at her. "Kakashi-sensei said it was he, Zabuza and Haku were fighting this shinobi…He didn't say anything about Naruto…" Sakura told her teammate.

Sasuke seemed to realize this and slowly turned to Kakashi and asked "So where is Naruto then? If he isn't up there with you? He didn't run away did he?"

Kakashi realized that there was no point in hiding it anymore, considering that they would be told anyways. Taking a deep breath, Kakashi said "During my battle with Zabuza…before the new shinobi arrived…Naruto took an attack meant of Zabuza to save Haku's life…He didn't make it. Naruto's gone…"

"G-Gone?" Sasuke stuttered out. "N-No. That can't be right. Naruto can't be gone," Sasuke added, a stunned look on his face.

Kakashi saw Sakura fall to her knees as her bottom lip trembled and her green eyes became wet with unshed tears before he turned back to Sasuke's stunned face and said "Yes…Naruto's dead…"

"That c-can't be right!" Sakura shouted, tears spilling down her face. "Naruto is too stupid to die! H-He can't be dead!"

"He is…" Kakashi responded to her softly, looking away from her when she began to sob uncontrollably. Kakashi then turned to Sasuke and said "Stay here…I do not wish to bury another one of my students on this day."

Kakashi turned around and dashed away from the two, guilt tearing into his heart at the entire situation. He knew that he shouldn't have left the way he did but he had a mission to finish.

He would deal with the fallout later.

* * *

 ** _Hyōton no Haku_**

With unmatched speed, Haku dashed from mirror to mirror with two kunai in her hands, using each dash to slash at her enemy within her grasp.

But each time her kunai met his armor, he would grunt but look no worse for wear and it was concerning her greatly.

She had already used quite a lot of chakra during these last few minutes and her speed was taking a dip in response. Nearly twice, he had almost caught her mid-dash but because of her additional jutsu, she was exerting far more energy.

But she couldn't give up now.

She had to take him down in order to take out Gato, keeping the promise Naruto had made before he died.

After another quick slash and dash into the mirror, Haku tried to hide her panting as Han stood in the middle of the sphere, steam slowly rising to the ceiling of the ice sphere.

Haku glanced up at the ceiling and reinforced her jutsu's strength and immediately dashed out of the mirror to the back of Han but while she was able to strike his back, when she was heading towards the mirror to her upper right, Han was inches away from grabbing her foot.

Haku flashed to the mirror to the upper left of Han and dashed from it and landed a slash to his mask before dashing into the mirror to his lower right.

Haku wasted no time in flashing into the mirror above him then melding from the other side of the sphere and quickly completed several seals before she slammed her palms on the mirror beneath her and shouted "Hyōton: Suishō no Arashi (Ice style: Crystal storm)! "

All of the ice mirrors began to crack ominously from within the sphere her opponent was trapped in and the moment she leapt away, the entire sphere exploded into millions of shards but the seemed to hover around Han, who Haku noticed was looking around the shards of ice.

Haku landed on the ground and did one seal with her right hand before she shouted "Utsu (Punish)!" while closing her hand into a fist.

The ice shards immediately soared towards the Iwa shinobi but before any of them could strike him, a shout of "Futton: Kairiki Musō (Boil style: Unrivalled strength)!" reached her ears.

Seconds later, a large burst of steam exploded from Han's body, causing the ice shards to evaporate mere seconds before they were to skewer him alive.

"Never use ice against someone known as Jōki no Oni," Haku heard the man exclaim with a laugh, possibly at the attempt of her trying to fend him off.

"Hmph, my ice will strike you down, no matter how strong that steam is," Haku stated coolly, not betraying the panic she was feeling at this moment but then she happened to turn her head to see Naruto's body.

 _'Naruto-kun…Did he panic like I am before he was killed?'_ Haku asked herself as she eyed his body, her eyes softening slightly.

 _'He must have…He knew he was going to die from Kakashi-san's attack…But he did it regardless and faced his death with dignity…If he can face death without fear, then I can face this shinobi with no difficulty,'_ Haku thought, her confidence building as she faced Han once more.

"You stand in my way in killing Gato…I will defeat you at any cost," Haku stated coldly while her eyes narrowed behind her mask.

"Such a big talk for a small child," Han stated before Haku saw him dash towards her, his right hand cocked back to strike her.

Surprised by how fast the armored man could move, Haku found herself dashing to the side to avoid his punch then ducking his wide kick that was aimed at her head but she was unable to avoid the elbow that slammed into her stomach.

Haku skidded backwards against the wall of the bridge but this quickly proved to be a good thing because she was able to avoid the punch that was aimed at her head.

But the cement wall behind her was not so lucky because the second his fist touched it, it exploded upon impact.

Haku quickly leapt up and kicked his face with both feet, sending him taking three steps backwards but Haku quickly dashed back and shouted "Hyōton: Hyōryū no Jutsu!"

Her ice dragon launched itself towards Han, who quickly blew out a large amount of steam and said "Futton: Shin Jōki no Yoroi (Boiling style: True steam armor)," The steam wrapped around Han's body and hovered around every inch of his body.

Just as the ice dragon was about to strike him down, Han roared out "Futton: Shin Jōki Bakuha (Boiling style: True steam explosion)!"

And with that, the steam shroud that covered Han's body suddenly expanded and exploded, instantly melting in the air but the Hyōton user saw the water and quickly formed several seals with one hand and shouted "Hyōton: Sensatsu Suishō (Ice Style: Thousand needles of death)!"

The water from the melted ice dragon quickly became shards of ice that instantly started to rain down on the Iwa shinobi but Han himself was able to switch himself with a brick, allowing it to be skewered by Haku's attack.

Haku felt a large amount of chakra coming from her left and instantly twisted her body to avoid another cement breaking strike from the large shinobi but Haku quickly kicked rolled to her left, avoiding a kick aimed at her, but quickly swept Han's feet from underneath him, sending his torso slamming against the hole he had just created with his fist.

Haku grabbed both of his legs used her chakra to lift up the rather sturdy male and tossed him over the bridge before falling to one knee, her breathing coming out ragged.

Haku stood up on shaky legs and took several steps back but just as she did, a huge explosion of steam occurred before her which knocked her off her feet and sent her flying backwards into the air where she then crashed onto the bridge hard.

When Haku pushed herself from the ground, she saw that the portion of the bridge that was there before was now gone due to that explosion but as she looked, she saw the body of Naruto hanging over the edge part of the bridge that was no longer there.

And he was beginning to slink off the edge until he fell off.

"Naruto-kun!" Haku shouted in horror as she quickly moved to her feet to grab the legs of the blond before it went over the edge.

But when Haku leapt for Naruto's body, the cement below her began to crack before Han came bursting from underneath it fist first, causing his fist to meet her stomach hard.

Haku flew backwards then slammed back first against the wall of the bridge before she fell face first to the bridge, coughing and gasping for air from the intense pain she was feeling.

And it wasn't all from the punch.

Not only was Naruto dead, his body was now plummeting into the water below. Never getting the respectful burial she knew he was going to get once Gato was dead.

Haku pushed herself up to her knees and then onto her feet but she stumbled back onto her knees as she coughed hard, causing blood to land against her mask.

Just a few seconds later, she felt a large amount of chakra building up before her and that was when she looked up to see Han appeared before her, his hand cocked back, ready to take off her head.

But without warning, a large water dragon slammed into Han's side, taking the man off of his feet and thus, saving Haku from her fate.

"Are you ok Haku?"

Haku looked up to see Zabuza standing before her, his blade sitting proudly on his shoulder. "I am fine," Haku replied coldly, trying to hide the physical and emotional pain she was currently in.

She watched as Zabuza's eyes flashed down to her torso, which had her bare red colored stomach showing due to the steam from Han burning off that part of her haori before he narrowed his eyes.

Zabuza turned his head away from her to stare at the downed Han and muttered "Stay, I will take over from here," before he dashed off to battle the steam using shinobi.

* * *

 ** _Momochi Zabuza_**

Zabuza could see Han rising to his feet and didn't hesitate to start charging towards the shinobi with his blade scraping the ground beside him and the moment he got close, he swung his blade at an upward angle, hoping to cut the shinobi in half.

But Han was quick enough to lean back to avoid the swing but Zabuza grabbed the hilt with his left hand and quickly swung his sword in a downward angle but Han was quick to avoid it as well.

Zabuza twisted his body, switching the hands that were holding his blade and swung it hard to try to bisect Han but the Iwa shinobi stepped back to avoid it but didn't get too far due to Zabuza instantly following up the wide swing with a kick to the gut.

Zabuza followed Han, who had stepped back from the kick, and delivered three quick lunges with the tip of his blade but Han maneuvered away from the lunges but was once again caught by surprise by the sudden twist and kick by Zabuza, which nailed him in the chest.

Zabuza got into a kneeling position with the blade before him and dashed forward sharply, causing the cement to rise in front of the blade before swinging the blade upward but Han managed to switch out with a block of cement just seconds before he was cut in half.

Just as the cement block just was.

Zabuza growled at this and quickly turned around and blocked an oncoming strike from Han's right hand with his blade, causing his feet to skid against the ground below.

Zabuza felt a bead of sweat slide down the right side of his face as he forced more chakra into his arms to keep them sturdy against the fist of the Iwa shinobi.

He refused to let his opponent see his weakness.

Zabuza's eyes flashed to Han's legs briefly before flashing back up to Han's orange eyes and sneered before he lifted his leg and kicked Han's right foot from beneath the man, making him lose just enough focus for Zabuza to leap up, while his sword stayed in place, and dropped kicked it , bouncing the flat side of his blade.

Due to the attack, Zabuza and Han fell on their backs but Zabuza flipped up to his feet, immediately swinging his blade down but Han swiftly replaced himself with another cement block, causing Zabuza to slice right through it but mere seconds after this, several kunai came soaring towards him.

Zabuza deflected six of the seven kunai but he was unable to deflect the final kunai, which wound up piercing his left shoulder.

Zabuza pulled out the kunai and stood up on his own two feet as he gritted his teeth. "You are really starting to piss me off," Zabuza growled out angrily as he faced the steam user.

Han chuckled and responded with "And here I thought that was already the case."

Zabuza didn't share Han's amusement nor his attempt at a joke and quickly showed him this when he dashed towards him with his blade in the air, ready to strike him down but when his sword came down, Han was able to step backwards to avoid the strike before he leapt up to kick Zabuza in the face.

Zabuza's back slammed against the wall of the bridge, which caused him to drop his weapon, and took a single step forward and saw Han's fist coming towards him.

Zabuza managed to grab the right fist of the Iwa shinobi and quickly responded by pulling Han forward and ramming his elbow into Han's face.

Han stumbled backwards and lifted his leg and kicked Zabuza hard in the chest, breaking several of Zabuza's ribs, which caused Zabuza to cough up blood behind the wraps on his face but Zabuza managed to pull the shinobi back towards him and landed a hard right hook to Han's jaw while letting go of his hand.

Han stumbled to the side but when he regained his bearings, Han was then kicked in the face by Haku, sending him sailing to the side.

Zabuza turned to Haku, who had landed on her side and said "I thought I told you to remain where you were."

"You did," Haku responded while clutching her stomach in pain, the pale skin now starting to blemish. "I decided not to listen."

Zabuza scowled on the inside but inwardly, he was impressed and proud of her. All Zabuza wanted from the moment he realized he cared for Haku far more than a tool was for her to become her own woman.

Before this mission, she would do anything and everything he asked her to do. If he was as sick as some people, he knew he could have asked her to share his bed, she would have out of respect for all that he done for her.

He wanted to see Haku become self-reliant and stick to what she believed in instead of obeying his philosophy and while he was annoyed that it took her falling in love with the enemy but he was very proud that she decided it was now time to do what she wanted to do in life.

It might have taken that blond boy dying but he was finally getting what he had wished for on her tenth birthday.

"Very well Haku…We need to get on our guards," Zabuza stated before he tried to stand up, only for him to fall back down, groaning in agony from his broken ribs.

"Zabuza-s-san, you're too wounded to fight," Haku said with a worried frown on her face. "Please stay here. I can handle fighting him alone."

Zabuza gritted his teeth and shook his head and once again tried to move but the pain in his torso was white hot and Zabuza couldn't stop himself from growling in pain.

Haku touched his chest and said "Stay here. I will take it from here," before she dashed forward to attack Han once more.

Zabuza watched as Haku maneuvered around Han's attacks but she was clipped in her side hard by a side kick, which caused her to stumble before he landed a solid hit to her face, which shattered her mask.

Zabuza watched as Han steadily assaulted Haku's body with his fist and despite Haku trying to get away, Han stopped each attempt with a brutal punch or kick.

Finally, Han seemed to have enough of her and after ducking a kick, Zabuza watched in horror as Han's body exploded in steam and Haku was sent sailing backwards.

"Haku!" Zabuza shouted; panic lacing his voice as he turned his head enough to see her slam into the cement hard before rolling to a stop in the distance.

Zabuza heard someone running and quickly turned his head only to be picked up by his shirt by Han and launched into the air before his body slammed down hard on the bridge below beside Haku, who was struggling to her knees before falling down on the ground.

* * *

 ** _Hatake Kakashi_**

Kakashi was dashing over the many marks and cracks of the battles that were had, trying to get his way back to Zabuza and Haku when the latter of the two was seen rolling into his line of sight, with the former slamming to the ground moments later.

Kakashi skidded to a stop and look down at the two for mere seconds until he looked up to see Han charging towards them.

Kakashi swore and quickly did several seals before he shouted "Raiton: Ikazuchiryū no Jutsu!" and with a thrust of his hands, his lightning dragon came forth and charged towards Han's form.

But to Kakashi's horror, Han shouted "Futton: Jōki Jūdan (Boiling style: Steam Bullet)!" and with those words, Steam wrapped around Han's outstretched fist and then his entire body and his speed increased dramatically, making him seem like a white blur heading towards the lightning dragon.

The minute the white bullet collided with the dragon, the dragon was split apart forcefully as the white bullet cut through the middle of it and that white bullet was coming right to Kakashi.

Kakashi disengaged the jutsu and only had a few seconds to kick Haku and Zabuza away before switching himself out with a cinder block.

The cinder block exploded in particles the moment the white streak slammed into it. Kakashi appeared behind the white blur now and quickly did the familiar hand seals for the Raikiri just as the blur took a sharp turn and began to come right towards him.

Kakashi gritted his teeth and shouted "Raikiri!" before he dashed forward with the large ball of lightning in his hand and with a shout, Kakashi put the jutsu out above him and met the white blur in a fierce clash of Lightning VS Steam.

Kakashi gritted his teeth and tried to forced more chakra into his attack but he still found himself skidding against the ground against the long streak of steam before him. Kakashi tried to keep himself rooted to his spot by using his chakra to keep him still but even that didn't work because the cement around his feet began to slide back, causing cracks to appear.

Just then, a voice from within the white bullet shouted "Futton: Shin Jōki Bakuha!" The white steam ball expanded against his Raikiri ominously.

Before Kakashi could disengage, an explosion of extreme heat went enveloped Kakashi and his attack before the force of Han's attack sent Kakashi soaring high into the air where he then slammed into the bridge so hard, he actually bounced off the ground momentarily before slamming into the ground where Kakashi then rolled twice until he stopped completely.

* * *

 ** _Gato_**

Gato watched through his binoculars in glee as Han stood victorious against the pesky "Demon" and his ice whore along with the famed Copy-Cat shinobi.

"I knew this investment would work out for me!" Gato exclaimed in excitement as he hopped out from the wooden chair his henchmen had bought along for him to sit down in.

He knew it was dangerous to stay on the bridge while these shinobi battled but he had to watch this battle. He wanted to see that smug bastard Zabuza be stomped into oblivion by his superior while the ice whore was taken as his personal concubine.

Gato looked back at his henchmen and said "Let us go. It's time for me to see the life drain from the eyes of these shinobi."

* * *

 ** _ ** _Hyōton no Haku and Han  
_**_**

Han couldn't help but allow a smirk to appear.

He had done what many couldn't claim to do. He had taken out not only one of the famed swordsmen of Kirigakure no Sato and his apprentice but he also just took out the famed Copy-Cat shinobi, Hatake Kakashi.

And he didn't even have to use Kokuō's chakra….Though if he had known how quick this battle would have been, he would have used the demonic chakra as quickly as possible.

"So…Is that all there is from Momochi Zabuza and Hatake Kakashi?" Han asked with a mocking tone as he slipped his right hand into his torn Gi, which he was inwardly surprised at still being on his body after dealing with the girl and her speed in the ice sphere.

He saw both men struggle to rise to at least lean up to face him but their bodies had given up on them.

They were too battered and weakened to battle him now.

Han shook his head as he stared down at Zabuza's form and said "How pathetic…I accepted doing this at half the price Gato was paying you Zabuza because I would get the chance to defeat a powerful shinobi that was rumored to match my strength…"

Han's head then turned to the unconscious form of Kakashi and shook his head slowly and added "And then to see the famed Hatake Kakashi here was an added bonus to test myself…And I managed to steamroll not only the two of you but another as well? How pathetic…I suppose it's time for me to complete the rest of my side mission before heading home."

As Han began to walk away, he heard a female voice say from behind him "W-We aren't done yet."

Han turned around to see the Hyōton user standing on shaky feet, blood coating the left side of her face while blood fell from the corner of the right side of her mouth.

"I w-won't let you hurt Tazuna-san," Haku muttered but Han could see that not only was her body shaking from the pain she was in but her eyes were unfocused as well.

He could tell that that she was standing on her last legs and as admirable as standing up to him was, he merely turned around and said "Just stay down. I am no longer interested in fighting you. I just want to complete my mission"

But he was quickly stopped when he heard the whistle of a kunai slicing through the air coming closer to him where he then felt the kunai slice against his right shoulder, which caused him to stop.

Han turned around and said "You still wish to fight, despite me trying to spare you? Very well, I will end your life since you seem to want that! Futton: Jōki Jūdan!"

Steam exploded from Han's armor as he charged towards Haku at break neck speeds but Haku quickly dodged to the side to avoid the oncoming steam covered shinobi and quickly grabbed the unconscious Kakashi and hoisted him over her shoulder.

"Futton: Jōki Jūdan!"

Haku once again had to avoid the shinobi by rolling to the left side of the bridge to grab Zabuza and swiftly hoisted his body over her bare shoulder before she leapt over the bridge before Han's fist slammed through the cement.

Haku gritted her teeth as she hung upside down underneath the bridge and quickly ran to the other end of the bridge where the village would be, needing to get away as quickly as possible.

* * *

 ** _Han_**

Han looked over the edge of the bridge and let out a low chuckle as he felt her chakra signature running towards the end of the bridge where the other two chakra signatures were and said "Run as fast as you can, Hyōton user…You won't get far."

Han smirked and immediately began to charge forward to where he expected Haku would be.

* * *

 ** _Hyōton no Haku_**

"What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

Haku ignored the angered Sakura as she sat her unconscious Zabuza and Kakashi down with a worried frown on her face.

She knew that her opponent would come down here and as much as she needed to run far, far away, she didn't have enough chakra to get her far enough before it was game over.

So she had to go to the two most able bodies to get their assistance in hiding from the steam user…But unfortunately, Sasuke and Sakura were very upset with her due to the death of their teammate.

Which was a legit reason to be upset with her, being that she felt it was her fault in getting him killed but now was not the time to drown in that guilt. She had to get Zabuza and Kakashi out of here before it was too late.

Haku stood up to turn around to face Sasuke but was stopped when Sakura suddenly appeared before her, anger in her jade colored eyes. "How dare you show your face here?" Sakura asked her, making Haku narrow her own eyes.

"We have no time for this," Haku told her but as she tried to move to the side, Sakura instantly stepped in her way again.

"We will make time," Sasuke told her as he quickly joined Sakura's side, his black eyes radiating hatred for her. "You are the reason that Naruto is dead. The least you can do is tell us why."

"And I will once this is all over but we need to get out of here before he gets here," Haku said, her voice taking on a pleading tone as her worry for Naruto continued to increase.

The longer she remained here, the shorter their chances were to get away.

"No!" Sakura shouted. "Naruto may have been an idiot but he was our idiot! Our friend and he's gone now! We n-need to know why," Sakura said, trying to hide the sadness she felt in her heart.

"And since Kakashi-sensei and your partner is unconscious at this moment, you're the only one alive that can tell us why he had to die," Sasuke added with a cold look on his face.

Haku was looking agitated by Sakura's saddened face as well as Sasuke's cold expression and as much as she wanted to hold back her annoyance, she found herself unable to as she asked with a scathing tone "And why do either of you care so much?"

Her tone seemingly took Sasuke and Sakura by surprise but Haku quickly jumped on this and said "If you two were such good friends to him, then why did he feel so out of place within his village? Why did he ever feel alone with two such _good_ friends like you two?"

"N-Naruto was lonely?" Sakura whispered, her eyes looking down at the ground for a moment, her tone showing both surprise and sadness for the whisker marked shinobi.

"He never showed it to us. He was always smiling and joking and being a general dork," Sasuke said, his voice equally quiet as well.

"Well guess what, he was lonely in Konoha. As his friends, he should've been able to go to you two and tell you how he really felt instead of giving me the chance to know it…"

As Haku walked past the two genin, she said with a sad tone in her voice "If you two were there for him…He wouldn't have met me in the forest that day…he wouldn't have fallen in love with me…He wouldn't have taken Kakashi's technique for me…He wouldn't have died for me…His enemy…"

Despite him being alive, Haku still couldn't shake the intense guilt that filled her heart when her mind thought back to his death.

Haku quickly shook her head and opened her mouth to say something but Han's voice was heard instead.

"So this is where you went…I knew you would come here to join your friends."

Haku turned around to see Han standing a few feet away from them, his right hand hanging from his Gi as he chuckled softly.

What no one noticed was that there were little balls of orange light floating up from the waters below and into the air around them.

Haku instantly got on guard and pulled out several senbon and said "I was hoping to not be here but things had to be discussed..."

Han nodded in understanding, his hand sliding out of his Gi as he said "Understandable but that doesn't mean you can run off after wanting your death."

Haku turned her head to Sasuke and Sakura and said "Take Zabuza and Kakashi away from here. I will by some time for you both to go!"

Sakura and Sasuke looked at each other and quickly nodded before the two made their way to follow Haku's orders, although the latter of the two wanted to stay behind but he knew from the large amount of chakra this enemy had, he wouldn't stand a chance.

As Sasuke and Sakura lifted up their respective choices, Han rubbed his wrist and shouted "Who said I'm letting any of you escape?! Futton: Kairiki Musō!" which caused a large amount of steam to explode from his body before it began to spread out around the area.

"Futton: Gekiretsu Gobi Bakushin! (Boiling style: Furious Five-tailed Dash)!" Han shouted as the large amount of steam around him morphed into an being that had a horse's body with a dolphin's head which had two long horns with three short horns on its head along with five tails swishing behind it.

Haku, Sasuke and Sakura stared at the steam made creature in horror as its eyes glowed a bright red before it roared and charged towards them but as it got closer, the small orange balls of light that were hovering around the bridge shot towards the spot that was before Haku and the Konoha shinobi.

And second the orbs landed on the bridge, a large vortex of fire ignited against the ground, causing the creature of steam to disperse immediately and also sent Han flying backwards to the ground hard while Haku, Sasuke and Sakura were sent sailing backwards to the ground as well.

After a few seconds, Haku slowly made her way to her feet as she stared into the inferno and noticed that something was forming from within it.

The flames intensified as a black silhouette of a human was shown materializing from the start of the left side of the body to the right and from what she could tell, the figure was standing at 5'6ft and the silhouette of the hair seemed long and spiky as well.

The tower of inferno began to lower and ebb away and once it did, Haku received a shock that made her audible gasp.

The first thing she saw was that familiar navy blue and neon orange jumpsuit that was worn on Naruto and even had the Konoha hiate-ite around his forehead.

The jumpsuit even had a large hole in the jacket and shirt where he was struck.

Haku looked at the face and saw the familiar tan skin, ocean blue eyes and the three whisker marks on both cheeks but the hair, while it was moderately spiky, it had grown into a low ponytail that fell between his shoulder blades.

The figure was also far taller than he was before and the jumpsuit looked tighter on him as well and she could see through the large hole in his shirt that he had more muscle than before and even the baby fat that was previously on his face was gone, leaving it smoother and sharper as well.

But despite the changes, she could see the person she had fell in love with during the past few weeks in Wave within this new image.

"Are you ok?" The male asked, his voice sounding a little rough and deep to her but still holding the familiarity that she was used to.

Sasuke and Sakura were seeing this as well and they had a look of pure shock on their faces.

"I-It's can't be…Can it?" Sasuke whispered in disbelief. It couldn't be the dope…Kakashi and Haku had said he had died and their voices rang the truth and yet he was there…and he looked different as well.

Sakura was in a similar boat as Sasuke as she stared at the new arrival, her thoughts ranging from shock to relief and happiness.

When Kakashi had told them that Naruto had died, Sakura couldn't stop the guilt from pouring into her heart and it had only gotten worse with Haku's own words. She had treated him so horribly throughout their entire life when all he wanted was a friend.

She thought that she would never get the chance to apologize but now that he was back…She could make up from all of the evil she had done to him. Sakura then allowed a small blush to form on her face when she realized how cute he was looking as well.

"Y-You're…" Haku shuddered out, tears falling down her blood covered cheeks as she sat there on the ground for a few moments before she leapt up and hugged him tightly, her sobs muffled due to her face hiding against his jacket.

The teen gave her a tender smile and said "Sorry it took so long. A hero usually comes at the nick of time."

Haku giggled tearfully against him and tightened her hold around his neck. She didn't care that they were in the middle of a mission and she didn't care that her enemy was still standing; all she cared about was that Naruto was alive.

She could feel Naruto push her away as gently as possible and said "This reunion, as wonderful as it is, needs to wait…I have business to deal with the asshole that attacked you and the others. I need you all to stand down until it's over."

Haku immediately shook her head and said "I refuse! I don't know how you came back to life but I will not leave you alone to face him. Kakashi-san, Zabuza-s-san and I weren't able to defeat him and it was three of us!"

Naruto shook his head and turned away from her and said "Trust me. I will not die again. Just stay put. This won't last long," Naruto told her sternly.

Haku stared at his back, clearly distressed at wanting to stay by his side but she understood why he needed her to leave.

Despite his best wishes, she nodded her head and said "Please Naruto-kun…Stay safe…" Before she ran to Sasuke and Sakura, hoping that he knew what he was doing and that he would stay safe.

For her.

* * *

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto and Han_**

"So, you finally decide to realize that you are interfering in my business."

Naruto turned his head to glance at Han, the warm look in his eye that was there for Haku complete replaced by a cold fury that no one could match.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked darkly, fire embers beginning to float around him slowly before he added "On second thought, I don't need to know the name of a dead man."

The man before him laughed at his words, causing his frown to deepen and his eyes to darken dangerously. "Such words for a child who does not understand that they are moments away from certain death. I am Jōki no Oni, Han."

"As I said, I don't need to know the name of a dead man," Naruto responded before an aura of hellfire covered his being, his eyes now glowing a fiery orange.

Han laughed at this and immediately charged at Naruto at top speed, his right arm cocked back but the second Han came close, Naruto's body vanished in flames and ashes, leaving Han to punch said ashes.

Naruto swiftly appeared behind Han and threw a right, flame covered fist that slammed at the base of Han's spine hard enough for the armor to crack.

Han quickly turned around to throw a steam covered punch but Naruto dodged it and delivered a hard right jab to his face before leaning forward to land a left uppercut with flames covering his left hand, sending Han shooting into the air and to the ground moments later.

Naruto let a cruel smirk appear on his face as he reared his right arm back, waiting for Han to stand up and the minute he did, Naruto lunged his right arm forward and a thick strand of hellfire shot out from his wrist and towards Han, with the end of the hellfire shaped like a kunai.

Seeing this, Han quickly shouted "Futton: Jōki Domū!" Steam shot out from his armor and once again, the steam warped into a dome but the stream of hellfire shot straight through the dome as if the dome didn't exist and slammed into Han's armored chest.

Han was stunned by this.

That wasn't possible!

Nothing could go within his Jōki Domū, nothing but somehow, this had not only done just that but it went through his armor!

He could even feel the hot steel stabbing within his ribcage and had he not worn the armor, it would have pierced his heart, killing him.

The flames quickly cooled down and faded away, revealing a silver chain that Naruto was now holding in his hand.

Naruto gripped the end of the chain with one hand while wrapping his free hand in front of the chain and pulled on the chain hard as he yelled "Get over here!"

Han's feet scrapped against the ground hard before he was finally pulled forward towards Naruto and the minute he came in reach, Naruto's feet exploded into fire.

Naruto performed a back flip just as the chain disappeared and nailed Han hard under the chin and completely breaking his mask and the front of his armor, sending the steam user flipping backwards in unison with Naruto, with the only exception of Naruto landing on his feet while Han slammed down on his back.

Naruto watched as Han looked up and rolled back on his feet before dashing back, obviously trying to gain some distance from his opponent but Naruto instantly lunged his left hand out and the same stream of hellfire came flying out of his wrist and towards Han.

This time, Han managed to avoid being struck by it and launched himself towards Naruto with a shout of "Futton: Jōki Jūdan!"

Naruto watched as the steam bullet came charging for him and instead of moving, Naruto ignited the hellfire in his hand and summoned more of it to wrap around his body.

Naruto quickly dashed forward with his fist cocked back and just as he got close, he moved his arm forward and immediately, the two forces collided.

The clash seemed to last a lifetime compared to several seconds until the steam began to ebb away, leaving Naruto's fist to collided against Han's armored fist, which immediately shattered upon impact, breaking the elder man's hand as well as any bone up to his elbow.

Han's eyes widened in agony as the flame covered fist left his broken hand and came inches towards his face but Han quickly switched himself out with a small brick, causing Naruto's hand to shatter that completely.

Naruto's face morphed into a look of annoyance as he lowered his right hand and placed it somewhat behind his back as Han appeared a few feet away, his left hand bleeding and bruised.

Han clutched his left hand and stared at the small teen with a look akin of shock. This surely was a joke! He had to have been! His armor couldn't have been ripped in half by a basic move like that!

His armored mask couldn't have shattered from a move like that!

And his hand shouldn't be broken at all by this!

This wasn't right at all!

What the hell was going on?!

* * *

 ** _Hyōton no Haku, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura_**

Haku couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Naruto had not been alive less than ten minutes and he was doing more damage than she, Kakashi and Zabuza combined!

What the hell had happened to him?

"You look shocked Haku-san," Sakura stated as she stared at the Hyōton user in concern.

"I-I am….Naruto-kun is doing so much damage to him and even bypassed his attacks…" Haku replied with a stunned look on her face.

"You act as if this is a miracle or something," Sasuke told her, albeit also surprised due to the skills Naruto were showing. Before seeing all of this, all Sasuke knew of Naruto was that he made tons of clones and had a huge amount of chakra but now, apparently things were hidden from them all.

Did Kakashi know about his skills?

"It is…Me, Zabuza-san and Kakashi-san fought against him for endless amount of time and yet we never damaged him like this. We couldn't bypass his steam either and yet Naruto-kun was able to do it without any difficulty," Haku explained, shocking both Konoha shinobi silent.

 _'W-Whoa, I didn't know Naruto was so strong,'_ Sakura said with a look towards her blond teammate, who was currently engaged in a fierce stare down with that other shinobi.

 ** _"Cha! He is truly whooping that ass! You take him down, Naruto and show him who is the boss!"_** Inner Sakura shouted as she punched the air, making the real Sakura sigh a bit.

* * *

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto and Han_**

"How is this possible?" Han asked, completely in awe as he felt the cold air of Wave hit his exposed and wounded chest. "No Katon jutsu could have ever broken through my defenses. Not my jutsus and not my armor…What the hell is this?"

Naruto narrowed eyes and gave a rather cruel smirk. "That's thing about my techniques…They aren't Katon jutsus and to make it better, my attacks are no ordinary flame either. This is the power of the Netherrealm's hellfire and I have not been able to use it in some time."

"The Netherrealm?" Han questioned.

"Yes…And unfortunately for you dead man, you are my test subject to see how powerful it has become!" Naruto let out a rather demonic laugh as he ignited the hellfire within his left hand and around his body.

Han could see the flames swarm around the young man and smirked. For the third time in his entire life, Han had felt an emotion that he hadn't imagined he would feel again.

Excitement.

Han chuckled loudly at the youth and said "Well this is a new twist…I had you pegged as a lowly genin and yet I was wrong…Your abilities show much more than that." Han chuckled again and then said "But I'm afraid you won't be able to test these skills on me."

Naruto's eyes narrowed angrily. "You do not seem to understand," Naruto hissed out, the embers floating up around him starting to grow larger. "You have no say in this."

Han merely smirked and said "I believe I do. I have other things to do than to die. Especially by the hand of someone as young as you."

Naruto could only sneer at the disrespectful tone Han had showed him and replied with "Do not let my youth fool you; I've defeated warriors stronger than you, _boy_."

Han growled and took a step forward, only to hear Gato's voice coming from behind him, saying "Han! I did not pay you to play around with a child! Get to work and kill Tazuna!"

The fire around Naruto's body exploded violently when he gazed upon the small elderly small male and his army of henchmen. _'So that is Gato…He's as disgusting as Tazuna described…'_ Naruto thought angrily.

Han turned to Gato and replied "This is no mere child. He was able to cut through my steam as if it was nothing…"

"That matters not Han. I paid you to kill these pesky shinobi and to kill Tazuna. If you cannot kill a mere child, you are not worth your payment!" Gato screamed, his face turning red at the amount of rage that he was feeling.

Han was going to respond to his employer's anger when Naruto suddenly said "Gato…The same Gato that is responsible for Wave being like this…It is about time you showed your face."

Naruto watched as the hideous man looked at him and said, with a proud tone "I am the very same! Not that I am surprise that you wouldn't know the savior of this pathetic place."

A dark laughter left Naruto's lips, his anger all going towards Gato himself. "Then on behalf of this "Pathetic Place", there is a debt that you owe and I'm looking to collect."

"A debt? That I owe to this place? How foolish of you to presume that I owe any debt to this worthless village!" Gato exclaimed as Naruto remained silent, as if buying his time before he struck.

"I don't think you know who I am child! I am Gato! King of the underworld and I have connections in every location in the entire world! I have, can and will buy as many villages as use up all the resources a please to get what I desire and no one, man or _child_ is going to stop me!" Gato boasted loudly before he turned to Han and said "And as for you, you will go there and kill this insolent worm and his friends, get that ice whore and kill Tazuna! Do you understand?!"

Han narrowed his eyes at the man and said "Listen up you sniveling fool, the only reason I am here is because I wanted to fight Momochi Zabuza. I have defeated him and Hatake Kakashi to boot. I wanted to finish this mission to get my pay and go home but listening to you boast like an idiot and speak down to me as if I was one of your pathetic little henchmen has crossed the line. I am finished. Our deal is off. I'm going home."

"W-What?!" Gato exclaimed in horror as Han began to walk away from Han and towards Naruto himself.

"You can't do this!" Gato screamed but Han continued to ignore him until he came up face to face with Naruto, who scowled up at him.

"You and I on the other hand are far from over," Han stated as he narrowed his eyes at the blond shinobi before he smirked and said "I heard the Hyōton user call you Naruto…Knowing your name and knowing you come from Konoha, I will find you and we will finish this…"

Han then leaned down and whispered into the blond's ear "And when we do meet, I will introduce you to my demon, Kokuō." And with those words, Han leaned up and walked past Naruto and past the ground but Han did take time to nod and smirk and Haku, who scowled in return.

Naruto watched Han leave from the corner of his head and shook his head at the cowardice of Han but decided to let him go for now. Besides, he had a debt to fulfill with the loud mouth midget that was currently running his mouth in front of his army.

"I cannot believe this! The nerve of that pathetic swine to walk away when I paid him the money! No matter! I will still destroy this village with my men!" Gato shouted at the shinobi before he turned to his army and said "I will pay everyone double for the death of every single man, woman and child that is killed!"

The men roared in approval at this but Gato wasn't done yet. "And I will pay quadruple for anyone that gives me the heads of these shinobi that stand in my way!" Gato roared to the army, who roared as well, readying themselves for battle.

Gato grinned evilly and turned around with his mouth open, ready to sprout out some more words but then the sound of gargling reached the ears of everyone in attendance.

Naruto smirked as he looked at the shocked look on Gato's face as his spear was now inside Gato's mouth and his kunai was sticking out of the back go Gato's head.

"You talk far too much Gato," Naruto said with a dark laugh before he shouted "Come here!"

With a hard tug, Gato's head was cruelly ripped off of his body and was sent flying into Naruto's left hand and once Naruto got a good grip of the head, the chain disappeared with flames.

Naruto watched as the headless body fell to the ground and blood began to pool from the neck while Naruto glanced down at the stunned look on the now dead man's face and said "Your debt has been repaid…cockroach."

* * *

 ** _Hyōton no Haku, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura_**

None of them had expected to see what had just been done.

Naruto…Uzumaki Naruto had just killed someone and not only had he killed someone, he had decapitated him with one hard pull of the chain that had appeared.

And he did with no hesitation nor mercy….Not that Gato needed any of that but it still disturbed the three of them.

* * *

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto_**

Naruto tossed the head down to the ground and eyed the army, who were spooked beyond belief and with a smirk, Naruto asked with a mocking tone "What is wrong? You all were prepared to kill us moments before. What changed?"

The men looked at each other in fear but a random male, wearing a police uniform, said "I don't know about you guys…But he's only one kid. We can take him!"

Another guy, also wearing a police uniform, said "Yeah but I don't want to end up like Gato…I'd rather just surrender."

The first man scoffed and said "Such a pussy. I'm not afraid of this runt! He can't kill us all!" Some of the men on the right of the first uniformed male roared in agreement while the second half seemed afraid to even hold their weapons.

The first uniformed man scoffed at the cowardice of the rest and looked at the twenty men that agreed with him and said "Now let's kill this runt, for the boss!" the twenty men roared and together with their leader, they all charged towards Naruto, who merely smirked.

Without warning, over fifty clones of Naruto appeared with a burst of fire, causing the twenty men to skid to a stop immediately.

The first uniformed man stopped as well as every single one of Naruto's clones and all of them wore a rather evil smirk on their faces.

"So…" The true Naruto said with an amused grin on his face. "Still want to try your luck?" The twenty men, along with the uniformed man dropped their weapons and held up their hands, along with the twenty other men as well.

"WE SURRENDER!"

Naruto laughed softly and said "I thought so."

* * *

Rain: And that is how this chapter ends. The battle on the bridge is over but now the recovery begins. What will happen now that Naruto has awakened? Find out on the next chapter. Until then…

Mario: See you next time!


	5. Chapter 5

Rain: Man, you guys are blowing me away here from all the praise. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Now time to get started on the next chapter of this rather awesome fic!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

 ** _Chapter Five: Thoughts of a Ghost, Talk with the Cherry Blossom  
_**

"So…Can you run all of that by me again?" Kakashi asked with a look of disbelief in his visible eye, not knowing that the wounded Zabuza had the same look on his face as Sasuke stood before their sensei.

It had been a day since the battle on the bridge and many things had occurred. Immediately after the battle and the running off of the late Gato's army by Naruto's clones, Naruto himself fell unconscious and stayed that way with the exhausted Haku by his side all night and when he did awaken, he left to be on his own.

And with Haku still resting off her chakra exhaustion, Sakura was the one who left to find him, leaving Sasuke to tell his sensei and by extension, Zabuza all that had occurred the day before.

"It's simple, Naruto came back to life and defeated that guy you guys were fighting while using these techniques I had never seen or read before on any shinobi then, he killed Gato and ran off the army he had as well," Sasuke repeated with a troubled frown on his face.

Even as he said what had happened to his sensei, he still couldn't believe what he had saw and totally understood how his sensei didn't believe his words.

"Kakashi…He's telling the truth," Zabuza said with a frown on his face. "His body language, his voice and his eyes are showing me that. Obviously you see that as well."

"I do it's just…I can't believe that," Kakashi insisted with a stunned look on his face. He had killed so many with a single use of his Raikiri that hearing that Naruto actually survived it and managed to defeat Han was astounding.

No, not survived.

Sasuke used the words "Came back" telling Kakashi that he had killed his student but he came back to life.

But to come back without a scratch on him was unheard of…It was seriously bugging Kakashi out that this occurred but he then sighed. He should be happy that his student was alive but something else was troubling him.

Sasuke said that Naruto had killed Gato without any hesitation and even stated that he showed no remorse while doing so.

That didn't match Naruto's M.O at all.

Naruto was compassionate and kind hearted, despite his prankster nature. He would never kill anyone and show no remorse while doing it.

That was more Zabuza's M.O instead of his students but…He would take Sasuke at his word and judge the blond haired shinobi when he saw him again.

Speaking of which, where was Naruto?

"Sasuke, one more question before you guard Tazuna at the bridge. Where is Naruto now?" Kakashi asked as he eyed his student down.

Sasuke shrugged then stated "I don't know. When Sakura and I went to check on him, he was gone and Haku was out cold in his spot. Sakura did say she would find him but that was three hours ago and I haven't heard anything yet."

Kakashi nodded and gave Sasuke his thanks and dismissed him and after a few seconds of though, he turned his head to Zabuza and asked "So what do you think of this?"

Zabuza could only smirk as he said "I haven't fully met the gaki yet but he saved my life and Haku's, killed Gato, defeated Han and scared off Gato's army. I liking this Gaki more and more I hear of him."

Kakashi sighed.

He should have known that would be his answer.

* * *

 ** _Wave Village_**

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto_**

The sounds of waves splashing was heard as Naruto sat on the wooden bridge, his body resting in a half lotus position as he mediated on all that had occurred just a day ago.

He had died…Or came very close to it and met his past life known as Hasashi Hanzo and became one and in doing so, he obtained not only obtained his past life's memories but also his current life's memories as well.

His skills from both past and current lifetimes were combined as well. Before, he was a pathetic fighter with only one known jutsu but now, he was as skilled as a high level chūnin or a low level jōnin.

Surely, he would be far stronger if his skills from this current life were up to task but knowing his past skills certainly erased his feeble skills in taijutsu and elemental training so all he had to do was to get stronger.

Due to testing his skill with a hundred of his clones early that morning, Naruto knew that he still had the power to tap into the unmatched form of Scorpion but unlike in the past, he was now once again able to be overwhelmed by the pure wrath and hatred of his super powered form.

Naruto couldn't help but think back to when he saw that form from a different point of view during his meeting with his past self.

 _"I am revenge taken form. I am the result of destroying and rebuilding ones soul from the flames of the Netherrealm itself. I am the ultimate force in death and destruction….I am Scorpion! The undead wraith of Hasashi Hanzo!"_

Naruto shivered briefly before he let a wry grin form on his face as he thought _'More like the undead wraith of Uzumaki Naruto.'_

But now that led to the reason why Naruto was meditating in the first place. Everything from his past and current life was melded into one being with everything intact but the question he was facing was a simple one.

Who was he really?

Was he Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Kitsune and the #1 Hyperactive, unpredictable, orange wearing shinobi?

Or…

Was he Hasashi Hanzo, the clan leader of the dead clan known as the Shirai Ryu and the hell spawn known as Scorpion?

Should he mirror his personality from his former and possibly his first life as a no nonsense shinobi who got the job done to support his family and clan as well as the hate filled monster known as Scorpion.

Or…

Should he remain the plucky, happy-go-lucky, lonely host of the Kyūbi, genin of Konohagakure no Sato who had a "Never say die" attitude?

He truly didn't know and sadly, this made him miss his only friend from his time…

Takahashi Kenshi.

The man who had saved him from himself when he first came back to life.

The man who taught him how to make peace with his past and how to harness his power into his own instead of his hatred.

If only he were here to save him from the thoughts of not knowing who he truly was.

 _'Kenshi…If I ever needed your uplifting words, now would be the time,'_ Naruto murmured softly as a memory began to play out in his head.

* * *

 ** _Flashback_**

 ** _Unknown Mountain top_**

 _"Must we really do this Takahashi?" Hanzo muttered, his anger filled eyes locked on the serene form of the warrior before him._

 _The warrior before him was of Japanese descent with black wind swept hair along with faint showing of a beard and a scarlet colored wrapping over his eyes and on his body he wore a red aikidogi with a black hakama and a black uwagi without sandals._

 _Hanzo, on the other hand, wore similar clothing to the warrior but his aikidogi was yellow and his hakama was black and he was barefoot._

 _The two were in the middle of meditating when Hanzo muttered those words to the man before him, clearly annoyed by what he deemed was a waste of time._

 _The warrior let a gentle chuckle and calmly addressed Hanzo with "Meditation is always the first step to enlightenment Hasashi-san."_

 _Hanzo scoffed at this and growled "When you said you would help me walk a new path, meditating was not that first thing I had in mind…we could be doing any other exercise but we are stuck doing this. It's just a waste of time."_

 _"I understand your plight my friend but the fact is that what you deem "A waste of time" is a stepping stone to your path to redemption," the samurai replied, his voice as calm as ever but Hanzo was not hearing that nonsense._

 _He could take a lot of things but meditating was where he drew the line. He had to do it when he was a small boy and every day before he became the head of the Shirai Ryu and he was not going to go back to doing it._

 _But there was another reason for his burst of anger._

 _The word that his…ally had used._

 _Redemption…_

 _He had failed to redeem himself once before and it left him more of a withered husk than before. He deserved no redemption._

 _He didn't deserve to be breathing the cold crisp air of the mountain he and Takahashi Kenshi had stayed while his wife, his son and his clansmen were buried beneath the earth._

 _"Redemption," Hanzo spat out the word as if it was laced with poison, hints of hellfire burning within his eyes. "There is no redemption for me Takahashi. I lost that the moment I forfeited my family and clan's resurrection by killing Sub-Zero…I should not be alive now."_

 _The warrior let out a soft sigh at Hanzo's words and said "But you are alive now. You made a mistake while being blinded with rage. It has happened to the best of us."_

 _"Tch, you act as if you know how it feels to be blinded by rage. Then again, that would be pretty redundant, wouldn't it Takahashi?" Hanzo retorted scathingly, as if trying to goad the blind warrior into some sort of negative emotion._

 _He knew it was wrong to hit below the belt with the sole person who was helping him but Hanzo felt that familiar itch of rage and bloodlust entering his veins and he could not stop it from bubbling to the surface._

 _But instead of Kenshi taking up his heirloom Sento to fight due to his dig at his blindness, the man nearly chuckled and shook his head, as if he was amused by his words._

 _"I actually do understand how it feels," the samurai responded, his voice still as calm as it was the moment they had met._

 _"Before I lost my sight, I was arrogant. I thought myself invincible and was easily prone to anger when someone questioned my skills or mocked me as you just did. When Shang Tsung played to my pride to retrieve Sento and because of my pride, it led me to be blinded and my ancestors to his hands…"_

 _The anger that was in Hanzo's eyes seemed to cool down at Takahashi's words. He had no idea that the treacherous sorcerer Shang Tsung was behind his blinding as well as his greatest strength nor did he know that the humble samurai was as prideful and arrogant as Johnny Cage._

 _"Every day that I draw breath, I feel guilt that I was blinded by my arrogance and pride which led to my ancestors being taken by Shang Tsung but…I learned from it. Not only was I humbled by the experience but it also gave me purpose to use my powers to fight for good…" The samurai then chuckled to himself._

 _"We were both different people before tragedy struck us. In your case, three different people but now is the time for you to take the first steps in actually healing from your losses and making peace with the wrath that has fueled you for all these years...It won't be easy, I know this but one day when you're living in peace, I think you'll thank me for it."_

 _Hanzo to stare at him in wonderment before he then chuckled and said "I truly must be insane because I actually believe your words…"_

 _"I'm glad my insanity got to you. I was nervous I was going to have to battle you to end the boredom you were in," Kenshi said with a laugh._

 _Hanzo merely smirked and said "Well, perhaps we could have a spar Takahashi. Meditating is quite boring and you're better off fighting me anyways. I've always learned tough lessons with my fists and I doubt that will change."_

 _Kenshi merely smirked and said "As you wish…" and with a flash of light blue energy, Sento appeared on his lap, which made Hanzo's smirk to widen before he lunged._

 ** _Flashback End_**

* * *

 ** _Village of Wave_**

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto_**

 _'Tch, I am truly insane…I actually miss that clown,'_ Naruto thought with a wistful chuckle, his eyelids opening to reveal his bright blue eyes to the world once more before he stood up and stretched out his limbs as he yawned.

But as he lowered his arms from the air, he heard a familiar voice shout out "So this is where you are, Naruto!" come from behind him.

Naruto turned around to see Sakura running towards him with an object in her hands which made Naruto glance at her with a hint of confusion in his ocean blue eyes.

What was she doing here?

* * *

 ** _Wave Village_**

 ** _Haruno Sakura_**

 _'This village is not that big! I should be able to find him!'_ Sakura exclaimed in her head as she raced around the village to find her blond teammate.

When she and Sasuke went to check in on him that morning, they found him gone and Haku sleeping in his spot. Sasuke offered to go find him but Sakura told him she could handle it but when he asked _"Why do you want to find him?"_ she told him that this was the least she could do after not assisting in yesterday's battle.

And while that was true, there was another reason that she had wanted to find Naruto as well.

* * *

 ** _Flashback_**

 _"No," Kakashi said sternly. "You will remain here with Sakura to protect Tazuna at all costs."_

 _"You tell me to stay back and yet Naruto is missing as well. Is he up there helping Haku?" Sasuke asked with a scowl on his face._

 _As Sasuke and Kakashi talked, well more Sasuke raging and Kakashi being strangely silent, Sakura realized something._

 _Kakashi had said that he, Zabuza and Haku were battling an unknown and had not mentioned Naruto at all in that sentence and she voiced this, which caught both Sasuke and Kakashi off guard._

 _Sasuke realized this as well and slowly turned to Kakashi and asked "So where is Naruto then? If he isn't up there with you? He didn't run away did he?"_

 _Kakashi realized that there was no point in hiding it anymore, considering that they would be told anyways. Taking a deep breath, Kakashi said "During my battle with Zabuza…before the new shinobi arrived…Naruto took an attack meant of Zabuza to save Haku's life…He didn't make it. Naruto's gone…"_

 _Sakura was stunned by the words of her sensei._

 _It couldn't be…_

 _"G-Gone?" Sasuke stuttered out. "N-No. That can't be right. Naruto can't be gone…"Sakura fell to her knees as her bottom lip trembled and her green eyes became wet with unshed tears, barely hearing her sensei's next words._

 _"Yes…Naruto's dead…"_

 _"That c-can't be right!" Sakura shouted, tears spilling down her face. "Naruto is too stupid to die! H-He can't be dead!"_

 _And Sakura truly believed her words._

 _Naruto was one of those rare people that did stupid stuff on a regular basis and lived to tell the tale. Him being dead was something that was not computing in her mind and yet from the look in her sensei's eyes told her otherwise and it only made her sob harder into her hands._

 ** _Fast Forward_**

 _"Naruto may have been an idiot but he was our idiot! Our friend and he's gone now! We n-need to know why," Sakura said, trying and failing to hide the sadness she felt in her heart._

 _"And since Kakashi-sensei and your partner is unconscious at this moment, you're the only one alive that can tell us why he had to die," Sasuke added with a cold look on his face._

 _"And why do either of you care so much?" Haku asked with a scathing tone and an agitated look on her face, taking her and presumably Sasuke off guard._

 _From how long Sakura knew the girl, she never sounded so vicious but then again, they didn't know she was their enemy up until now so did she really ever know Haku?_

 _"If you two were such good friends to him, then why did he feel so out of place within his village? Why did he ever feel alone with two such good friends like you two?" Haku asked the two of them, although Sakura felt the Hyōton user's eyes were locked on her the most._

 _"N-Naruto was lonely?" Sakura whispered, her eyes looking down at the ground for a moment, her tone showing both surprise and sadness for the whisker marked shinobi._

 _She had never known Naruto was lonely and Sasuke even voiced this as he said in a quiet voice "He never showed it to us. He was always smiling and joking and being a general dork."_

 _But Sakura saw Haku's face morph into a look of anger by this admission and said "Well guess what? He was lonely in Konoha. As his friends, he should've been able to go to you two and tell you how he really felt instead of giving me the chance to know it…"_

 _Sakura couldn't stop from falling on her knees as Haku walked past her and said with a sad tone in her voice "If you two were there for him…He wouldn't have met me in the forest that day…he wouldn't have fallen in love with me…He wouldn't have taken Kakashi's technique for me…He wouldn't have died for me…His enemy…"_

 ** _End Flashback_**

* * *

 ** _Wave Village_**

 ** _Haruno Sakura_**

When Naruto came back, Sakura was elated to see her friend back and immediately assisted Haku when he collapsed after his battle but during the night, Sakura finally had time to think about all that had happened.

When Sakura first met the blond as a child, she had played with him and even called him cute but when she told her mother about him, she was spanked and was told that he was a cruel thing that didn't deserve kindness.

He deserved to be treated as meanly as possible.

And like a good child, she told her brand new friend that they were no longer friends and that she didn't like him one bit. Since then, she had been mean to him.

Sure, there were times she was kind enough to put up with him in class but all the other times, she never hesitated to belittle him and hit him and go out of her way to make his day miserable.

But she never thought she was doing anything wrong. Kiba and Ino was doing the same thing. Hell, everyone in their class used him as their verbal and sometimes physical punching back, except Hinata, Chōji, Shikamaru, and Shino.

But everyone knew that while Hinata didn't do those things because she had a weird little crush on him, Shino, Chōji and Shikamaru didn't do anything mean to him but did avoid him plenty of times.

But Sakura had never seen a frown on his face once. He would pout for three seconds and then turn back into the loveable goof that would absorb all of their torment.

Especially hers…

But thanks to Haku's words, she realized that this was a façade.

And thought this realization, she had another.

Sakura also realized that during this entire mission, Naruto was different than his normal self.

He was quieter than normal as well as more subdued and at first, she thought this was due to him being outside of the village but as she thought back, he seemed more at peace with his surroundings.

He was kind and respectful to anyone that he came past.

He would work his hands to the bone with Tazuna each and every time they went to the bridge.

She even caught him using a clone to play hide and seek with the village kids quite a few times.

And when Inari told them about his step-father dying by Gato's hands, Naruto seemed even more determined and threw himself into all that he did.

He never whined and complained like he would in the village. He never back talked or grumbled behind any ones back when they gave him an order like he would anyone in the village.

All he did was do as he was told and worked his ass off, all with a gentle yet determined smile on his face. Sakura found that odd at first that he could smile when so much sadness was going on around him but now she realized that he was smiling because he was determined to save this place.

He was determined to keep this place from being as sad and lonely as he felt every day in his own damn village.

She now realized that the hyperactive, goofball, prankster dead-last of their class was actually a sad and lonely kid crying out for attention those that had shunned him and hurt him.

But the thing that really sent her over the edge was that if all of this was true, he put up with their abuse of him simply because he wouldn't be lonely anymore.

And the moment he found someone that was kind to him just to be kind, he latched onto that person tightly.

And that caused her to cry herself to sleep.

The reason she was searching for him was because now was the time for her to change her ways. She was going to put it all on the line and beg for his forgiveness and hope he forgave her.

And no matter if he forgave her or not, she was going to make sure that he would never be lonely again.

And the moment she found him, he was stretching at the end of the wooden bridge and that's when she yelled "So this is where you are, Naruto!"

Once he turned around at her shout, Sakura didn't hesitate and kept running down the bridge until stopped in front of him and panted hard, sweat dripping down her face as she huffed out "You…Been looking e-everywhere...for you…"

Naruto chuckled loudly at the sight before, which caused Sakura to look up and glare at the blond haired shinobi as she said with a pout "Stop laughing. It's not funny."

"You look so frazzled compared to your prim and proper self, Sakura-san. I couldn't help but laugh," Naruto stated before he chuckled again, unaware that Sakura flinched a bit at the title he called her.

She was so used to Naruto calling her "Sakura-chan" that now when he called her "Sakura-san" it made her feel weird in her stomach.

As if she was punched in the gut.

Why was that?

"I-It's ok...I'll make sure to be all prim and proper when I beat your sorry behind later," Sakura responded as she stood up and looked up at him, her face twisted into a mock scowl before it melted away into a serious look.

Despite the good natured start of their conversation, she knew it was going to get very emotional for her but it had to be done to begin the start to a better friendship with the shinobi before her.

But what Sakura hadn't realized that as she looked up at his chuckling face, she felt her own face heat up.

Despite all the mean things she would say, her first thought of him being cute had never changed but before, she always referred to the short, plucky, baby faced genin but now it was different.

He was taller than before and his face seemed more sharp and defined than before and the semi-spiky locks that fell to the sides of his face framed it so well.

Add to the sunlight that was behind him and Sakura found herself thinking _'W-Whoa…He's very handsome…'_

 ** _"Handsome?! That's all you've got to say about Naruto?!"_** Inner Sakura exclaimed in shock. **_"You need to get your eyes checked because our cute shorty became a tall hottie, Cha!"_**

"Sakura-san…Do I need to escort you back to Tazuna's?" Naruto asked with a quirk of his brow, causing the pink haired kunoichi to shake her head quickly.

"I-I'm fine, why?" Sakura asked with a hint of breathlessness.

"Because your face is all red. I know its burning hot out but I don't need you to overheat and suffer a heat stroke," Naruto responded but Sakura could see the humor in his eyes as he said this, as if he knew she was blushing because of his upgrade up the cute-hot ladder.

But that couldn't be…Could it?

Sakura snorted at her thoughts and said "At least your sense of humor hasn't changed Naruto." Sakura then caught a flash of recognition appear in Naruto's eyes before a small smile to appear on his lips.

"I thought you always said I had no sense of humor due to my pranks," Naruto stated as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

"Exactly," Sakura retorted with a blank look but then she let out a small giggle, which was accompanied by Naruto's chuckle. "The reason I was staring was due to wondering how you changed the way you did. I mean your looks, your skills…It's all different."

"I honestly have no idea," Naruto murmured with a frown on his face. "One moment I was dead and the next…I was standing in a ring of fire."

Sakura crossed her arms, her mind racing to figure out how he could have changed until her eyes widened. "Wait! It could be that you have a Kekkei Genkai! I mean Sasuke activated his Sharingan yesterday during his fight, Yours could have activated when you died."

Naruto seemed to think on this before she noticed he gave a subtle shrug, as if that explained everything and said "That works for me. I'll seek council with the Hokage to check if this is the case. But now I have a question for you. What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you because you were missing this morning…You should have let one of us know you were going to leave," Sakura told him as the two began to walk down the wood made bridge.

"I did. I told Haku-chan that I would be going into the village to make sure none of Gato's men would come back," Naruto explained but Sakura snorted.

"She was out cold in your bed," Sakura told him with a blank stare.

"Oh…I did not realize that," Naruto admitted rather sheepishly, which made Sakura laugh a little, thinking that at least him not realizing obvious signs hadn't changed.

"How did you not realize that?" Sakura asked with a glance at his direction. "She came to see you and you put her in your bed when you left."

Naruto stopped completely which caused Sakura to look back at him in confusion but it was then she caught his confused expression.

Why was he confused?

He shouldn't be confused about putting her in his bed.

Unless…

"Naruto…She was just visiting your room…right?" Sakura asked with a hesitant tone in her voice.

When Naruto turned his head to look at the sky, unwilling to answer her question straight up, a deep blush settled on Sakura's face when she realized the implications.

The two of them had stayed in the same bed.

Did that mean that they…

"Hehehe, Let's just forget I s-said anything and move on," Sakura said with a shaky voice, unable to fight down the blush that settled on her face.

Naruto nodded in agreement and said "It's starting to get unbearably hot out here. Let's go under the tree over there."

Soon, Sakura found herself sitting under the tree shade with Naruto, who had leaned back on the tree to get comfortable and decided to go over her apology plan once more in her head.

She was going to stay as strong as possible and not break down into tears and then hopefully, Naruto would forgive her and they can be friends.

And if not, she would understand but continue to be there if he ever needed her until things changed in the future.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura said "Naruto, we need to talk about something important."

"Haku and I didn't do anything. We stayed up and talked and kissed, that's all," Naruto quickly stated, his voice somewhat panicky and shaky, which caused Sakura to laugh a bit.

At least him blurting out things randomly hadn't changed either.

But somehow, hearing him say that they didn't do anything made her feel somewhat better but imagining them kissing had unexpectedly annoyed her but she let it go due to wanting to get started with her apology.

"T-Thanks for telling me but it's not about that," Sakura said, another blush forcing itself on her face but this time, she was able to fight it down completely. "It's about what happened…on the bridge yesterday…as well as before that…"

She caught the subtle change from relaxed Naruto to on guard Naruto and for a moment, she couldn't say a word due to how different he looked.

It was as if he was a scorpion, ready and willing to strike her down with one wrong move and it made her nervous but she had to push through so she turned her body enough to face him completely and bowed to the blond and exclaimed "I just wanted to say I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Sakura could feel him staring at her, possibly in confusion but she continued to push through her speech. "When Kakashi-sensei said that you died yesterday, I couldn't believe it…You were just one of those people that did dumb things on the fly regularly and lived to talk about it so at first, I didn't b-believe him…I thought he was joking…But he wouldn't joke like that in such a serious situation…"

 ** _"Yo, stay strong pink hair!"_** Inner Sakura shouted out within her mind as Sakura continued on with "But when I realized you died, I cried Naruto…I couldn't s-stop from crying…But then it got worse. Haku told us how lonely you were at home…She told us that you didn't feel like you belonged there because how we treated…And she was right…"

Sakura was trying so hard to keep her tears in check but when she felt them beginning to slip out from her eyes and onto the grass beneath her, she realized that she had failed and decided to go all out.

"We…We treated you like shit Naruto…All we did was pick on you, belittle you and hurt you day in and day out…But none did it more than me…Ever since we were little, I treated you as if you were sub-human…And to make it worse, this was after I promised to be your friend!"

"Sakura-san…" She heard Naruto breath out softly but Sakura lifted up her head to reveal her teat streaked face which caused any words that were going to leave Naruto's mouth to die immediately.

"No…Don't try to defend what we did…what I did…I was a monster to you Naruto. All I saw you as was the idiotic, dead-last, pranking loser of the class and my own personal verbal and physical punching bag…" Sakura admitted with a bitter tone in her voice.

"At times…I genuinely forgot that you had feelings…I justified myself in beating you and hurting you as a way of releasing stress or punishing you for bugging me or getting in between me and Sasuke…"

Sakura then chuckled angrily at herself and admitted "Honestly, I would hit you for whatever minor thing you did…But I also did it because I knew you wouldn't hurt me like anyone else would…Hell, its why everyone except Hinata or Shino or Chōji or Shikamaru did it! Because you were you and you smiled through it all…But it wasn't until your death and Haku's words that I realized how that was a lie."

Sakura lowered her gaze to the ground and said "We hurt you…For years we were hurting you and excluding you…We damaged you...We were the ones that made you feel so alone in your own home…I realized last night that the reason you put yourself through that was because you lonely that you realized that even if you were getting abused…You weren't as lonely as you were before…And that made me feel sick to my stomach…That I put you through all of that when all you wanted was a fucking friend!"

"It took you dying for me to realize that all you ever wanted was someone…Anyone to be kind to you! Without you going through any type of pain to be with someone! It took going outside of our home and into this depressing situation for you to be happy!"

Through tear filled eyes, Sakura saw Naruto lower his head so his hair was hiding his face and she could see that his face was blank but that didn't stop her at all from whispering "Haku was right…If even one of us were your true friends, you wouldn't have been alone in our own home…You wouldn't have had to look for friendship and even love with the enemy…"

Sakura let out a deep, shaky sigh, seemingly exhausted from all of the emotion she put in her speech but she knew that she wasn't done just yet. She had a little more to go. "Do you know that I noticed how much happier you've been since we've been here? How much hard work you've been doing here. Everyone loves you here! Yesterday after you collapsed, the villagers showed up at Tazuna's place and you know what they did?"

She watched as one ocean blue eye became visible through Naruto's hair which made her smile a little bit. "They cheered your name the entire night. Not my name or Sasuke's or sensei's or even Zabuza and Haku's. Yours…"

"M-Mine?" Naruto asked her, his expression frozen in a stunned look.

"Yours," Sakura confirmed. "You have done so much for this village Naruto…The entire time you worked your ass off for Tazuna and the other workers at the bridge. You made a clone to play with the children, you saved the entire village from Gato and his thugs. Hell, you saved all of our lives because without you coming back, all of us would have died…You should have heard Inari yesterday. "Naruto-nii is a hero" he said all night! You not only gave Inari back his hope but you made this entire village happy…"

"I-I...Haku told me but I didn't believe it," Naruto whispered in disbelief but Sakura merely socked his shoulder with a large, sad smile.

"You better believe it! This place loves you Naruto…And its sad because after seeing all that you have done and seeing you put it all on the line and losing it all for a while…You deserve that treatment…Not the bullshit we've put you through…" Sakura said, her tone going from happy for him back to its sullen state.

"I just…You deserve better...Not just for all you've done here but for all the shit we put you through back in Konoha…" Sakura finished with a gentle smile, now giving the blond all the room he needed to talk.

But while she expecting anything from a smile to a scowl to bragging, all Naruto could ask her was "Why tell me all of this now? Was it because I saved your life? Or is it due to you being afraid of me?"

"None of the above!" Sakura exclaimed sharply before she lowered her voice to add "…I told you all of this because I needed you to know how pathetic and sorry I am for treating you like a sub human for all these years. I just wish it didn't take you dying for me to realize all of this…But in a way, I have feeling that I never would have seen the truth."

Sakura then moved towards Naruto and said "I apologized but I don't expect you to forgive me now or even ever…All I want to do is let you know that even though you have Haku, you won't be alone anymore. I'll have your back no matter what happens."

Naruto stayed silent for what seemed like a lifetime but without warning he stood up and said "We were both different people before yesterday. I was an annoying prankster seeking attention from everyone at any cost and you were, plain and simple, was a bitch."

Sakura flinched from the blatant truth in Naruto's words but she remained silent to let him continue. "But what happened has happened. You admitted you were wrong in your actions and now, it's my turn to admit that I let it go on. If I had any self-respect then, I would have put you and everyone in their place a long time ago but I needed that attention…You were right, I was lonely and how I handled it was unhealthy and had it continued, I probably would have committed Seppuku."

Sakura gasped at this admission.

What she attributed to could have driven him to suicide? If Sakura had eaten this morning, she surely would have thrown up from this reveal.

"The fact is this, we both made mistakes and now it's time for us to take the first steps in healing from our actions and make peace with them. It will not be easy. Nothing ever is, but it will make things better for the future…But as of right now…."

She watched as Naruto moved his head side to side before he turned his head to her and said "I have a food stand that feeds the children and anyone who needs it. Haku and I normally make the food but since she isn't here…I figure I would have to do it alone…"

Sakura was unsure at where Naruto was going with this until he turned his head and gave her a gentle smile, which caused her heart to miss a wanted beat.

He held out his hand towards her and asked "Would you like to assist me today? Elder gods knows I need the assistance from someone more competent than me."

Sakura stared at his vibrant blue eyes until her eyes widened at the realization. He was giving her another shot. He may have not outright say it but he was giving their friendship another shot.

Sakura held back the large smile that wanted to split her face just enough to have a normal smile and took his hand and said "It would be an honor to assist you, Naruto."

* * *

 ** _Wave Village_**

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura_**

Three hours had passed since Naruto and Sakura's talk and now the two were walking the dirt trail to Tazuna's house as the sun was high in the sky and Sakura was trailing behind the blond shinobi deep in thought.

They were nearly mobbed by the large crowd that had arrived to great them at the food stand but it turned out that they were all there to thank Naruto for all that he had done.

Naruto, in a surprising twist, told them that he needed no thanks for his services and that he was only there to help them as long as they needed him.

As if that was all they were thanking him for.

She couldn't help but smile at how bashful Naruto was from all the praise but she was very surprised about him as well. There was no arrogance or teasing or flaunting at all. He remained quite level-headed and mature about the entire thing.

But then again, she had a feeling that this was the real Naruto she was seeing. Not the one that she had known and bullied in Konoha.

It was then she paused as a shocking realization popped in her head. Naruto has everything he wanted here.

He had a girlfriend…He had saved the village…He had become a huge hero.

He was no longer lonely.

But he had to return to Konoha when it was time to go but would he be honestly willing to give this all up for a place that shunned him and hurt him?

In all honestly, she wouldn't be surprised if he stayed in Wave. People loved him here and wanted him to be around. Why would he give it all up for Konoha? There was no reason for it at all.

Sakura couldn't help but sigh at this.

They would never see how he changed.

"Hey Sakura-san, you've gotten pretty quiet back there. You alright?" Naruto asked with a glance at her direction.

Sakura rose her head and nodded swiftly before she said "Yeah. I'm just thinking about after the mission. I mean…" Sakura paused, unsure if she wanted to go down this conversation right now but as Naruto continued to look at her, she knew she had to say something.

But the moment she opened her mouth to continue her train of thought, Sasuke's voice was heard from above them.

"It's about time you both got back here. Sensei was getting worried."

Sakura let out a silent sigh of relief as Sasuke landed behind the two of them. "Go inside Sakura and let Kakashi-sensei know you're back. Dope. You and I have to talk."

Sakura saw the troubled expression on Sasuke's face and had knew beforehand that he had been aching to talk to Naruto as much as she had so she walked up to Naruto and grabbed the large soup pot from his hand and said "I'll let Kakashi-sensei know you're here."

Naruto nodded at her but kept his eyes on Sasuke as he replied with "Yeah, I'll be up shortly."

Sakura immediately ran into the house, leaving Naruto and Sasuke alone outside of Tazuna's home.

* * *

Rain: And with that, another chapter bites the dust. This chapter has started an arc I can't wait to keep writing and that is the **_"Who am I?"_** Arc. It will deal with Naruto trying to figure out who he truly is and it will also heavily feature the Kyūbi as well a few other surprise Naruto characters also. This chapter was mostly about Sakura and that was on purpose.

I kind of feel that in a lot of Naruto fics, she gets a really bad rap so I want to kind of want to change that up to her wanting to change. Now will this mean she is in the harem? I am not sure but even if she doesn't, she will be fairly close to Naruto.

The next chapter will be the end of the Wave arc and will quickly go into the _**"Who am I?"**_ Arc so until then…

Mario: See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

Rain: And here I am with another chapter. Don't have to say but thank everyone who is enjoying this fic and I hope you guys continue to do so. So enjoy the show!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

 ** _Chapter Six: Diverging Roads_**

 ** _Flashback_**

 _"Naruto! Naruto! Naruto!"_

 _Haku felt pride bursting through her heart as she heard the faint cheers from the Wave villagers from her resting place in the spare room Tsunami happily gave her._

 _It had been a few hours since the battle on the bridge and Haku was reflecting on the events that led her to sitting at the bedside of one Uzumaki Naruto._

 _Before this mission began, she, a shinobi as cold as the biting winter, belonged to the cruel and vicious Momochi Zabuza, to always and forever be his weapon._

 _But then her master accepted this mission to kill Tazuna and things had gotten out of control._

 _She met and fell in love with one of her enemies, gave herself to him and then momentarily lost her precious person due to him selflessly taking the bullet for her and Zabuza._

 _And when hope seemed lost during her battle with Han, he had returned within an inferno and not only took down Han, forcing him to retreat, but he killed the tyrant Gato and ran off his ruthless gang._

 _'It seems so strange…It had only been a few weeks and you've already changed so much of my life,' Haku thought with a gentle smile as she brushed a strand of blond hair from her precious person's face but it was then his hand quickly sprung from the covers and latched itself around her wrist tightly, which caused her to gasp in surprise._

 _Suddenly, Naruto's eyes snapped open but instead of the crystal blue eyes she had come to expect, his eyes were completely white, with no irises in sight, and they were glowing faintly, which caused a brief look of panic to appear on her face._

 _But those eerily glowing white eyes were faded away to reveal the worried crystal blues that she had wanted to see. "Haku-chan, I'm sorry," Naruto told her as she felt his hand quickly remove itself from her wrist before he explained with "I thought someone was going to attack me in my sleep...I should have expected it was you."_

 _Haku could hear the panic in his voice and saw the fear in his eyes and quickly placed her hands on his cheeks and gently smiled, which seemed to calm him down._

 _"It's ok...I shouldn't have had my hand so close to your face…" Haku responded gently as she shut her eyes briefly, holding back the pain that his grip had caused her wrist. "I'll be fine, I promise."_

 _Naruto nodded into her hands and said "Well all the same, I'm sorry if I hurt you. That's the last thing I ever want to do…"_

 _"I know. You proved that today when y-you…" Haku's voiced cracked when she thought about what had occurred to Naruto during the incident on the bridge._

 _Despite Naruto being alive and well now, Haku still couldn't get over the fact that he had died on the bridge because of her and it was something she was sure would haunt her memories for many years to come._

 _"When you saved us," Haku continued after clearing her throat, trying to steer her thoughts and conversation away from his death._

 _Naruto looked at her in concern but she shook her head and said "It's about time you woke up anyways…I was getting worried."_

 _"I'm sorry…I just…I just have a lot to process after all that has happened both mentally and physically," Naruto replied, his voice as soft as the mattress Haku had now found herself sitting on._

 _"I know…I was doing the same thing before you awoke," Haku admitted with a small smile._

 _"I hope you don't regret it…" Naruto said softly, which caused Haku to look at his eyes with concern. Of course she didn't regret what had occurred between them._

 _She regretted that he had died for a little while because of her weakness but she did not regret anything that had happened that lead them to this moment now._

 _But…did he?_

 _"I regret you dy…getting hurt but I don't regret anything that happened between you and I," Haku told him gently while taking his hands in hers but she then took a deep breath and asked "But do you?"_

 _"I…" Naruto started out but then he grew silent and Haku could see that he was really thinking about his answer and that made her nervous._

 _She didn't want him to regret what they shared during their time together in Wave but she could understand if he did. Her actions on the bridge had led him to die and if she had died and came back, she would question things as well._

 _But if he did, she would be hurt, despite understanding._

 _Naruto seemed to think on what felt like a lifetime to her but when he looked at her, she saw the familiar warmth in his eyes that she had seen a few times in her life and suddenly, she felt at ease._

 _"I do not regret a moment we shared together," Naruto told her with a gentle smile. "Yeah, with our meeting, a lot of things in my life has changed but I don't regret a thing. I don't regret our first smile…I don't regret our first kiss…I don't regret the night we made love under the stars or the fear that we shared in thinking that one of us would not see this night…And I don't regret doing what I did in sacrificing myself for you…"_

 _Haku felt tears prickling at her eyes at his words and couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh. She was sure he was going to regret it but to hear him vocally tell her this made her feel happy._

 _But…He looked as if there was something more he wanted to say and she was right because his face then took on a seriousness she was not expecting at all._

 _"I don't regret doing what I did but…in doing what I did, I-I feel as if I...lost who I am…Or what I was…And I don't know what to do…" Naruto admitted to her as he lowered his head, his voice sounding as lost and unsure as he looked._

 _Haku merely took him into her arms and whispered "You may feel lost but I will help you find who you are. And that is one promise that I shall never break…"_

 ** _End Flashback_**

* * *

 ** _Hyōton no Haku_**

"Haku-san, are you awake?"

Haku's eyes slowly opened at hearing her name and slowly, she leaned up to see Sakura standing in the door way with a worried look on her face but Haku merely smiled a bit to ease the worry the pink haired cherry blossom was feeling.

Haku had been laying on the bed she and Naruto had shared last night thinking on the conversation the two had last night.

She was a little concerned about Naruto and hoped he was ok. He seemed really down about knowing who he was and it bothered her that he was like this in the first place because of her.

"I've been awake for a little while now. No need to fret. How are you doing, Sakura-san?" Haku asked as her smile shrunk slightly when she saw Sakura's face.

It looked as if she had been crying and was a little concerned at the sight. Sure, she had been mighty cruel yesterday on the bridge revealing some truths she was sure the cherry blossom didn't know but she didn't want her upset by what she said during a high stakes situation.

But her brief worries were eased when Sakura said "I'm doing ok. Actually, a lot better than ok. And its because of you."

"Because of me?" Haku asked curiously.

Sakura nodded and beamed with happiness and replied "Yeah. You opened my eyes yesterday on the bridge with your words and because of that, I spent all night thinking on all the shit I put Naruto through and apologized thoroughly…I came up here to thank you for helping me see the light and repair my friendship with Naruto-san."

Haku was surprised at Sakura's admission but at the same time, she wasn't. Naruto mentioned time and again that Sakura was the smartest girl of his class and that it took her no time at all to find a solution to any problem that lay before her.

"You're welcome…So you've seen him today?"

Sakura nodded and said "Yeah, we just got back from feeding everyone in the city with the stuff you two normally make. He's outside talking with Sasuke…I just hope they're getting along."

Haku was unsure by this and said "I know that Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san had quite the rivalry...I doubt things would be fine...But you are right, perhaps things should be fine."

* * *

 ** _Uchiha Sasuke_**

Sasuke was feeling a myriad of emotions as he stood across from his blond teammate.

Sasuke knew that he should be glad that his teammate was alive and well after hearing of his death but Sasuke couldn't be thrilled.

Instead, all he could be is confused at what had gone down since his apparent death and revival.

Before his death, Naruto could barely fight himself out of chokehold against a plastic bag and now the blond was able to take down a shinobi that took out the triple threat of Zabuza, Haku and Kakashi?

Sasuke couldn't believe that at all.

But he saw it happen with his own two eyes. He saw Naruto defeat Han and kill Gato. He saw him reborn through the flame vortex he had created.

Whatever this power was, it was able to defeat a shinobi as strong as Han and it belonged to the hands of an idiot.

Naruto didn't deserve that power, he did.

He needed that power to kill Itachi and however Naruto gained it, he would force the blond to give it to him at any cost.

"Sasuke, I don't have all day watching you glare at me. Either tell me what you need so we can finish this quickly or leave."

Sasuke snapped back to attention at Naruto's words, which caused him to notice the look of annoyance and impatience on Naruto's face.

And something about this made Sasuke scowl at the blond and asked "Am I keeping you from something important?"

"Actually yes," Naruto admitted. "Haku-chan is possibly awake and I would like to spend time with her…Unless you're ready to stop wasting my time and start talking."

Sasuke's scowled deepened at the blond's words and with gritted teeth, Sasuke replied with "Listen dope…I'm not wasting your time…I have questions about your…revival and new abilities and I want an answer to them."

Sasuke watched Naruto's facial expression go from annoyed to blank in less than a moment before he wordlessly turned around and started to walk towards Tsunami's home.

Much to Sasuke's anger.

"Dope! I want an answer! You can't turn your back on me!" Sasuke raged out with balled fists.

Sasuke watched as Naruto stopped mid-step and only turned his head enough to stare at him from the corner of his eye and asked "And why should I give you one, Sasuke?"

"Because I need answers!" Sasuke responded instantly. "I knew you for years and was able to beat you each and every time we had to spar in class. Even before we became shinobi, I could have beaten you and anyone without any issues!"

Sasuke then lowered his head to look at the ground and said "Even during this mission, I held it all together. You froze against the Demon Brothers and nearly got killed against Zabuza during the first fight while I beat them both and stood my ground against him but somehow…Somehow, you reaped the benefits of it all!"

Sasuke looked back at Naruto and saw that the blond was still in his previous position and shouted "Somehow, You managed to get the respect of everyone here as if you're Kami on Earth! You managed to not only find someone to like you but it was our very enemy! You! The weakest of us all in Konoha managed to defeat an enemy that Zabuza, Kakashi and Haku couldn't and with skills you never had, with power you never had!"

Sasuke took a step forward, his ebony colored irises changing into the Dōjutsu of his former clan's joy and said "That power does not belong in the hands of someone unworthy of it. Of someone who doesn't need it. I need that power to defeat **_him_** and to bring honor to my clan, something you wouldn't understand and I demand you to tell me how you got it or give it to me!"

A gentle breeze overcame the area as Sasuke glared at the blond, who still had his back to him and for a moment, Sasuke felt a little nervous at his fierce outburst due to the complete silence that came from the shinobi in his sight.

Suddenly, a small chuckle was heard from Naruto, which caused Sasuke to blink in surprise.

"So…How long were you holding that little speech in?" Naruto asked, sounding more amused than anything. "I'm sure for a little while. I even bet you practiced it while looking in the mirror because you hit all the right dramatic notes."

Sasuke blinked in surprise, his anger momentarily gone due to the way Naruto reacted to his words but when he realized the blond found humor in his words, it made the Uchiha more furious than before.

"This is not a joke! I am not a jo-" Sasuke was immediately interrupted when Naruto turned around with a serious look in his eyes.

"Yes you are," Naruto replied swiftly, his tone going from amused to serious in and instant. "You think you can come up to me with that nonsense and to expect me to actually take you seriously? I've dealt with a lot foolishness in my life so if you think I would take the words of a pompous, witless fool like yourself seriously is the day I truly lose my mind."

Naruto then flashed a small smirk and said "Now as I said before, I have someone waiting for me so this little meeting is over. Thank you for wasting my time I could have spent with her."

Naruto then turned around and started to walk back towards the house, leaving Sasuke to stew over his words.

 _'No…There is no damn way…I will let you walk away after insulting me…'_ Sasuke thought in fury before he let out a large yell and dashed towards the walking Naruto as fast as he could.

Sasuke cocked back his fist when he was inches away from Naruto but without warning felt Naruto's right hand collide with the right cheek of his face, which sent him sailing to the side and against a tree rather hard where he then slumped to the ground.

Sasuke quickly looked up to see Naruto kneeling in front of him with a look of anger he had never seen before in those crystal blue eyes.

 _'I-I didn't even see him move,'_ Sasuke thought, his Sharingan activated eyes shaking in fear as he felt Naruto grip his neck and jerked his head forward until their noses were touching and for a moment, Sasuke could see anger within his blue eyes.

"Listen and listen well," He heard Naruto tell him in a voice that promised that something dark could occur if he didn't obey his words. "I have dealt with people like you for my entire existence…And I have dealt with them the same way I will deal with you if you **ever** come near me with the intent to hurt or kill me..." Sasuke then saw embers floating up around the two of them as the heat began to make him sweat heavily.

But Sasuke scowled at the shinobi's attempt to try and scare him and said "And what's that? Tell them about your ramen adventures?"

Sasuke quickly found out that mocking Naruto was a mistake when Naruto's irises faded away, leaving his eyes completely white before fire ignited within and around his eyes, the skin around his eyes started to glow orange-red and crack.

 ** _"CONTINUE TO MOCK ME AND I WILL BLACKEN YOUR BONES!"_** Naruto roared out in his face, causing Sasuke to freeze up in terror he hadn't felt since… **that** time.

He could hear the raw rage and power echoing through Naruto's now deepened voice and of course, having the blond with literal fire in his eyes and his skin looking as if it would explode in flames told Sasuke that Naruto meant every word that he said.

 ** _"I AM THE REASON YOU ARE STILL BREATHING AND NOT AMONG THE DEAD AT THIS VERY MOMENT. I COULD HAVE LET YOU AND SAKURA AND EVERYONE PERISH AT THE HANDS OF THAT SHINOBI AND GATO BUT I, IN MY WEAKENED STATE CAME BACK WHEN I HAD NO REASON TO RETURN TO SUCH A WRETCHED, ARROGANT LOT LIKE YOURSELF. AND INSTEAD OF GETTING A TINY BIT OF THANKS, YOU DARE BELITTLE ME AND THEN ATTACK ME WHEN MY BACK IS TURNED?! HOW DARE YOU?!"_**

Sasuke could feel the heat around him increase before he noticed out of the corner of his eye that a bunch of grass suddenly exploded in a burst of fire appear a few inches away from his left arm.

What had he done?

Sasuke then felt Naruto's grip on his neck tighten which caused him to wheeze out a breath but Naruto continued on. **_"IF YOU EVER, IN YOUR PATHETIC LIFE, EVER CROSS ME THE WAY YOU HAVE TODAY, I WILL RECTIFY SAVING YOUR LIFE HERE AND FORCEFULLY REMOVE YOUR HEAD FROM YOUR SHOULDERS AND BATHE YOU IN HELLFIRE OF THE NETHERREALM, AM I UNDERSTOOD?!"_**

"I UNDERSTAND!" Sasuke wheezed out in horror as more fire came exploding into life around them but as soon as he said these words, he found himself staring into the crystal blue eyes of Naruto instead of the inferno that were there moments before.

"Good…Now be gone…" Naruto whispered darkly as Sasuke felt the grip on his neck loosen and he took no time in switching himself with a log and ran as fast as he could into Tsunami's house but as he closed the door, he saw a flash of smoke appear behind Naruto.

* * *

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto_**

Naruto heard the door to Tsunami's house slam shut, telling him that Sasuke had gotten inside but Naruto had not moved from the spot he was currently kneeling on.

He had lost control.

He should have done what he was doing before and just walked away but Sasuke always had to push his buttons and drag a battle out of him…Like he always did.

It infuriated Naruto that he had given into Sasuke's games but at the same time, Naruto was pleased that he had.

Sasuke was a very driven person and he knew that he would not have dropped his power hungry ways until something drastic and considering how bad he was set off, it could have cost the Uchiha his life.

' _I could have killed him without a second thought. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't have wasted a moment in ripping his head off of his shoulders but then again...I suppose this is still my newer life taking over my thoughts,'_ Naruto thought to himself with a small chuckle before he looked behind him and said "Wow, you waited all this time to show yourself Kakashi? You're usually faster than this."

Naruto saw the hint of surprise in the elder man's visible eye but it quickly disappeared into a cool and calculated look that he had come to know from his elder. "Well, I am injured Naruto. It took me a bit to get out of bed," Kakashi countered with a smile on his face.

"I suppose...I thought you wanted me to come upstairs to meet with you," Naruto said as he stood up to stare at the silver haired scarecrow.

"I did but I happened to feel an enormous amount of chakra and decided to check it out. Turns out when I did, I saw you nearly causing an inferno with Sasuke scared out of his mind…I must say, you really live up to your title as unpredictable," Kakashi said with a good natured chuckle but this only made Naruto get on his guard.

Kakashi's voice and eyes seemed carefree but his body language looked tense, as if any certain movement would cause Kakashi to snap like a coil and Naruto understood why his sensei was like this.

This was truly the first time he and Kakashi saw each other since the bridge and the last time Kakashi saw him was when he was dying and Naruto knew that if his old student Takeda had died and returned looking radically different, he would be concerned about whether Raiden or Quan Chi got their filthy hands on him.

Naruto leaned against the tree and stared at Kakashi for a long period of time with a frown on his face and replied with "What are you really doing out here? And don't bother giving me some lame excuse."

Kakashi's carefree look quickly morphed into a firm, calculating gaze and Naruto watched as Kakashi's eye roamed up his body until it reached his face and said with a dark, fierce tone "Who are you?"

Naruto was taken aback by this question but as he opened his mouth to respond, Kakashi quickly said "Don't bother answering that question because I already know the answer. You look like Naruto. There are differences of course. Namely your facial structure, height, muscle mass and voice but the main aesthetics remain the same. Blue eyes, blond hair, three whisker marks on each cheek."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and then added "But the one thing that troubles me the most are your eyes. Before, your eyes held endless excitement and mischief in them. But most of all, they were innocent and carefree. But now, your eyes have a more mature look, as if you've seen a life of endless torture and sorrow with hidden strength as well…Something you should never have in your eyes…Even from the report of your actions yesterday and your skill tells me you aren't Naruto. Naruto would never kill another nor did he have the ability to fight someone neither I, nor Zabuza or Haku could defeat. You look the part of Naruto but you aren't him so who are you?"

Naruto scowled and opened his mouth to speak before he slowly closed it and looked to the side, truly unable to answer the shinobi before him.

"I…I don't know how to answer that because I don't know who I am..." Naruto finally admitted after a few moments of silence but then he looked at Kakashi dead in the eye and said "The last time I knew that, I had your arm sticking inside my chest."

Naruto saw Kakashi flinch from this and narrowed his eyes, his mind instantly thinking of more to say to capitalize from this before he added "The last time I knew who I was…Was when Haku held me in her arms before I died…After that, I had to deal with flames that came from hell itself being forced into my body…It remade me…healed me…molded me into what I am now…It gave me this power over hellfire…"

Naruto demonstrated this by igniting his left hand with said hellfire and stared at it with a small grin and said "You should be happy it happened because it was because of this power, I saved our team from being killed by Han and Gato's men…"

Naruto then closed his hand, thus snuffing out the fire and then lowered it before he said "I understand where you're coming from and I understand your concern and I even understand why you are on guard right now but the one thing I will tell you is this...If I am not Naruto, then tell me why did I come back?"

Kakashi seemed unsure about his question but Naruto was swift in following up by saying "You know what my life was like in Konoha…You know how badly they treated me…if I was not Naruto…Why did I come back?"

Naruto could see Kakashi racing to think of an answer and just as he saw the silver haired man's mouth open, Naruto quickly interrupted and said "And before you answer, If I was not Naruto, I wouldn't have saved Haku either."

Kakashi's mouth closed at this and Naruto took this chance to say "You're right about one thing…I'm not Naruto…I wasn't Naruto the moment I died…But I came back because I love Haku-chan. I came back because I do not want any of you to die because we are teammates and I could never turn my back on them…Because I seem to recall learning that "Those who break the rules are trash but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash." And I could never stand being worse than trash."

He could feel Kakashi's eyes still on him, as if trying to deduce his words before Naruto suddenly heard a small chuckle leave Kakashi's lips, which caused Naruto to glance at him with a frown.

What was so funny?

"You know, now that I listened to you…I can tell you're Naruto…" Kakashi started with a look of amusement in his eyes. ""Yes…You may look different and your attitude and abilities are different but your heartfelt speeches are something that can't be replicated," Kakashi added with another chuckle.

"I'm glad you approve," Naruto stated with a blank look on his face but inwardly, he was glad that Kakashi realized that he was somewhat Uzumaki Naruto, even if he himself couldn't feel it.

"Well of course," Kakashi stated with a grin before he took a small breath and looked at the clear blue sky. "I will say, I am surprised I managed to last this long before exploding…" Kakashi suddenly stated with a chuckle, which made Naruto suddenly tense up.

"But…I am losing chakra and I doubt I can retain this clone any longer…You really took too long coming upstairs," Kakashi said with a small sigh, which made Naruto roll his eyes in annoyance.

"You're the one who came down and jumped the gun Kakashi. I could have been up there in a few moments," Naruto responded with a cross of his arms but Kakashi merely chuckled and gave a carefree shrug.

"What can I say, I'm impatient," Kakashi replied before he said "But there is one thing I do want to tell you before I poof away so listen carefully…"

Naruto could hear the seriousness in Kakashi's voice and decided to heed his word and listen to what he was going to say.

"As your sensei, I can teach you many things. From Tree walking to maintaining your chakra level and putting you through hell but I can't do everything for you. You alone must walk that road to find what is missing within you and only then will you find what you desire…I await what you'll do when we leave in two days…" Kakashi said with a chuckle before he disappeared in a plume of smoke, leaving Naruto standing alone in the forest.

The blond shinobi merely snorted and placed his head against the tree and said "I alone must walk that road…Only then will I find what I desire…Tch, It seems your confusing teaching lives on in this world, Takahashi."

Naruto then chuckled.

He knew what he had to do…

* * *

 ** _Wave – Two Days Later_**

"Naruto! You ready to go?!"

Naruto opened his eyes and let out a small yawn as he laid his head back down on the pillow next to Haku and said "Haku-chan…It's time to wake up."

Haku mumbled and snuggled deeper into his chest, which made Naruto chuckle softly and softly kiss the top of her forehead. "Must we really get up to do this?" Haku grumbled out as she looked up at the blond and with a pout.

"We must…The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get going as well," Naruto replied with a small chuckle.

It had been two days since his talk with Kakashi in the forest and once he spoke to Haku about it, he realized what Kakashi was slyly suggesting and he agreed with the elder shinobi.

Naruto had to go his own way to find out who he truly was and trying to do this in Konoha was not going to help him. If anything, what he learned with dealing with Sasuke was that going to Konoha would be more damaging to him more than anything.

He needed time away to find out who he was.

Would he return to Konoha?

He didn't know but as of right now, there was no way he would go back. But Naruto then realized that even though he didn't want to go back, he didn't want to remain in Wave either.

As much as he loved the people here and vice versa, he knew that being in Wave would hinder him even more due to feeling such love and affection from Wave's people.

No, he wanted to become more familiar with this world he was in now and the only way he could do that is to explore it and perhaps find himself along the way.

Naruto couldn't help but smile a bit at Haku's words when he had finished telling her about his plan to travel the elemental nations in order to find out who he truly was.

 _"I believe I made a promise the other night stating that I will help you find who you are…I don't intend in breaking that now…When do we leave?"_

And that, followed by the night of them sleeping together made him mentally smile.

He definitely didn't regret sacrificing himself to save her.

Just then, Naruto heard the door open and in came Sakura, leaning against the door way with a blank stare. "Naruto, I've been calling you for ten minutes now, we're ready to go."

Naruto leaned up from the bed and said "I know. I'm just trying to wake my bedmate and she's deciding to be lazy."

"It's not being lazy…It's being comfortable," Haku grumbled as she leaned up off the bed as well while leaning on Naruto's left shoulder.

Naruto could see Sakura blush a bit at the fact the two of them were sharing a bed but it wasn't like they had sex or anything.

They still had on clothing.

"Regardless, Kakashi-sensei says we need to be out of here by noon and its almost time," Sakura said before she rushed out the room with a shout of "Sasuke-kun! It's time to wake up!"

Naruto chuckled and turned to Haku to say something but he noticed Haku had a small frown on her face, with her eyes staring at the spot Sakura was standing in moments before.

Naruto went to say something but Haku merely smiled at him and said "Come on, we should get ready as well."

Soon, the group of shinobi, sans Zabuza, were standing at the exit of the village just as the sun was rising, to make sure to beat the crowd that would have been around them otherwise and Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke were standing with their backs towards the entrance while Naruto and Haku stood with their backs before the village.

"Sakura, Sasuke, why don't you guys go wait over there. I just need to speak to Naruto alone for a minute," Kakashi ordered softly as he pointed to the exit of the village.

"And what about Naruto?" Sakura asked, her green eyes flashing from her sensei to Naruto as she said this.

Sasuke merely scoffed and walked away from the group and stood outside of the village, not wanting to be anywhere near Naruto at this time due to still being sore about what had happened two days before.

Naruto looked towards Sakura and for a moment, he didn't know what to say to her. Ever since her apology, the two hadn't exactly had the time to spend with one another to have a brand new start on their friendship but this was something he had to do.

"I'm sorry Sakura-san…But I have a few things to take care of here before I return there…" Naruto told her with a small smile on his face.

Naruto could see the sad look in Sakura's eyes appear but then a sad smile formed on her face as she chuckled lightly.

"I had feeling that this could occur…Just take care and come back home when you're ready," Sakura said before she reached out to hug Naruto briefly, which he returned before she walked away to stand near Sasuke.

"So, I gave you two days of space to think about what I said and from seeing that, I believe I know your choice," Kakashi said with a serious tone in his voice.

Naruto nodded and said "I did…" before he reached up and untied the Hiate-ite from his forehead and held it out to Kakashi and said "I can't return to Konoha until I find what I desire most."

Kakashi took the Hiate-ite and said "From the moment you mentioned you didn't know who you were, I knew I had to say something…Those words was the very same words my sensei gave me before he died and I never followed through with them and I came to regret it. I'm glad you aren't following in my footsteps."

"And what about the Hokage? What will he say when you guys return without me?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi merely chuckled and said "I'll just be honest with him, he understands that some shinobi need that time away from their village. Although he is attached to you, I think he would understand."

Naruto nodded and said "So this is then? This is goodbye."

Kakashi laughed as he held out his right hand towards Naruto and said "Not goodbye…Just a brief absence. I have feeling I'll be seeing you again soon so take care of yourself…I don't want this to be the last time we see each other."

Naruto looked at the hand and clasped his right hand with Kakashi's and replied "You'll see me again Kakashi, I promise you that."

Kakashi loosened his hold and said "You promised. Don't break it now," Kakashi nodded at Haku and also said his goodbyes to Tsunami before he glanced at Naruto one last time before walking out of the village with Sakura and Sasuke by his side while Naruto and Haku watched on before the two of them turned around and walked back within the village.

But as the two walked back into the village, a certain pink haired kunoichi turned her head to see Naruto and Haku walk away and smiled.

 _'Take care Naruto…When you come home, I'll make sure things will be better for you…I promise…'_

* * *

Rain: And that is the end of this chapter. A little lackluster I believe and a little rushed but I wanted to get through this quickly because the next chapter will be dealing with a lot so be prepared!

Mario: See you next time!


	7. Chapter 7

Rain: Took me a bit but I have come back with a brand new chapter, This one will be dealing with a lot so just going to get right in it so sit back, relax and enjoy!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

 ** _Chapter Seven: Issues from Leaf to Wave  
_**

 ** _Flashback_**

 ** _Momochi Zabuza_**

 _Zabuza was sickened by the sight before him._

 _This young girl…The very one he had saved from a certain life of homelessness or death…The very same girl he had trained day in and day out was currently kneeling right next to the dead body of one of Kakashi's runts._

 _He had no idea that she had been seeing their enemy behind his back and from the heart wrenching sobs leaving her lips, the two of them were closed._

 _But as sad as Haku was…and as much as he was hurt by hearing her cry, they had a mission to complete and they needed to finish it and take advantage of this one less problem._

 _"Haku, I do not know what is going on but we have a mission to finish," Zabuza told her in the most commanding voice he could muster._

 _But to his surprise, she hadn't sprung to his side like normal. Instead, she stayed by the dead runt's side. "Haku…" Zabuza repeated slowly. "We have a mission to fini-"_

 _"To hell with the mission!" Haku had shouted which shocked Zabuza to his deep, dark core._

 _Throughout his entire time with her, she had never once raised her voice at him nor refused an order but here she was, right before the famed Hatake Kakashi no less, refusing his command._

 _"Haku, do you know who you are speaking to like that?" Zabuza stated, an angry scowl being seen beneath his mask, wanting to prod her more to see what was going on in her head._

 _In his own special way of course._

 _"I am the one who took you in when you were just a small beggar on the streets. I trained you to be my tool and I command you to remove yourself from the dead shinobi," Zabuza told her, anger within his voice but deep down…He needed to where all of this was coming from._

 _And why it was happening now._

 _As if she hadn't heard him, Zabuza watched as his subordinate leaned down and kissed the lips of Naruto before she slipped on her mask and said "Y-You're right…You found me after my father killed my mother and I killed him…You taught me all that you knew and put me through hell…You raised me to be an emotionless tool…"_

 _Zabuza could hear the sad tone in her voice as she spoke to her past to him but she quickly continued with "I followed you, at first out of obligation for you saving my life and giving me purpose but soon…I started to look at you as a father…But all you saw me was as a tool."_

 _A pang of sadness filled his heart when he saw the crushing sadness in her eyes._

 _As much as Zabuza wanted to toss his blade aside and bring her into his arms and tell her that he had felt the same way…That he viewed her as his daughter…He couldn't go back on how he was raised…How he was created to be._

 _Shinobi were tools…A means to an end and that was never going to change._

 _But still…Seeing her hurt like this did make his heart ache and it took him all of his power to not show this in his voice when he said "That is what all Shinobi are Haku. A means to an end for anyone that needs us. You are no different."_

 _"Naruto thought I was different!" Haku snapped, anger filling her voice immediately, which once again shocked Zabuza but she continued on with "All he wanted was for me to be at his side to fight for the light of this world! Not as a tool, not as someone beneath him, but as his partner!"_

 _Zabuza frowned and narrowed his eyes at the young kunoichi but he remained silent, deciding to let her speak._

 _"Naruto believed in me…Despite all of the evil that I had done as your tool, he believed that I could help him! Even when I lost that faith in myself! And with him gone, I won't let his promise go in vain!" Haku shouted him, which only made him both angry and proud._

 _She was finally standing her ground against him._

 _"What are you saying Haku?" Zabuza whispered._

 _"I'm saying that as much as I care about you, I can't allow you to interfere in my new mission…"_

 ** _End Flashback_**

* * *

 ** _Present Time – Tsunami's home_**

 _"For Naruto, I will fill this world with light! Where no shinobi…No…No human should think of their fellow man as mere tools!"_

Zabuza eyes narrowed slightly as the words from his subordinate…Well, his _former_ subordinate had shouted at him during their harrowing time on the bridge.

He would never admit it to her but she was proud of her for finally doing what he had wanted her to do for a long time.

She stood up to him and defended her ideals against his own, growing into the kunoichi she should be instead of what he wanted her to be.

But despite this issue, there was something that has been angering him about this entire issue…And it was the runt who lit the fire within the heart of the one that matters to him.

Who the hell was this kid?

He not only rushed into Haku's life and filled her mind and heart with his naïve words enough for her to believe him and take on his cause.

And not only that, he somehow came back from the dead and fought someone that he, the famed copy-cat shinobi and Haku were unable to even scratch.

And not to mention the fire show he had observed from the room when that very same runt personally fucked that damn Uchiha's kids day.

And even before that, he spent all night listening to the village to shout his name in victory.

 _'Just what is so special about you…Uzumaki Naruto,'_ Zabuza thought as he stared down at his right hand, which was still trembling from the light pain it was still in and he quickly balled his fist in anger.

Haku had told him that the runt's mission was to fill the world with light…Where everyone, no matter who they were, would be treated with respect and not like tools.

"Bring light to the world huh? Such a naïve thought," Zabuza muttered before he heard the door unlock. Zabuza turned his head to the now opening door and in came Tsunami, holding some medical items on a silver platter.

"Hello, Zabuza-san," The woman said with a bright smile, which only caused Zabuza to frown in reply beneath his mask.

"Tsunami-san," Zabuza replied sternly as he turned his head to the window beside him and said "So it's that time? Good. I was wondering when you would clean my wounds."

Through the reflection, Zabuza saw Tsunami smile as she sat beside him and heard her reply "I'm sorry it took so long. I was making the food for Haku-san and Naruto-san for their trip."

Zabuza eyes widened at this.

Trip?

What was this admittedly cute woman talking about?

Zabuza turned his head and said in a harsh tone "Explain."

He could see the slight fear in the eyes of the woman and mentally sighed before he said "I don't mean to scare you. I am sorry…But I need to know what is going on. Are Haku and that Runt leaving?"

The fear in Tsunami's eyes vanished after a few seconds before she nodded and said "Yes. Naruto said goodbye to his team and stayed here until they found enough resources to take with him out of this village. Haku-san is doing the same."

Zabuza didn't know how to feel about this.

On the one hand, he knew Haku was not going to leave with him once their mission ended on the bride but on the other hand, he didn't want her to leave this village…with him.

How the hell did she knew if he could defend her in case things went wrong? Zabuza was told about what Naruto had done but there was no way he could ever leave her in the hands of someone that he wasn't sure that could defend her.

Zabuza looked at Tsunami straight in the eye and asked as slowly as possible "Where are they now?"

* * *

 ** _Konohagakure No Sato – Hokage Tower_**

 ** _Hatake Kakashi_**

"What do you mean, he is gone?!"

Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke stood before the red faced Sarutobi Hiruzen, or as many knew him, the Sandaime Hokage.

Kakashi and his team had just given their report of the mission to the Hokage and at first, things looked to be going good with how shocked the Hokage was about Naruto's exploits but the minute the Hokage asked where he was, Kakashi told him.

And now things aren't looking so good but while Sakura and Sasuke hide somewhat behind Kakashi, the one eyed shinobi stood tall against his leader.

"He decided to remain Wave," Kakashi told the Sandaime calmly while slipping a hand into his pocket, looking like he was talking about his favorite Icha-Icha collection instead of the huge news he had just dropped.

"And you let him?! You let Naruto remain in a village that he does not belong in?!" Sarutobi shouted.

"I did," Kakashi responded.

Kakashi's eye watched as his esteemed leader took several long breaths before his elder said "You seem fairly calm, considering your career as a shinobi is on the line. Do you have any idea what you have done? Naruto is crucial to this village and you left him out on his own. He is not strong enough to handle the world out there. There are many enemies stronger than him that can kill him. Do you know what you have risked in leaving him out there?"

"Why is the dope so important anyway?" Sasuke suddenly spoke up with a scowl on his face. "He left the village, many of our shinobi do that. So why make such a fuss about him?"

Kakashi could only sigh when he watched the angered eyes of the Hokage lock onto Sasuke, who immediately tried to lean behind him.

Kakashi knew that Uzumaki Naruto meant a great deal to the Hokage due to the elder man looking at the youth as his grandson and not only that, the youth was also the jinchūriki for the Kyūbi no Kitsune but Sasuke wouldn't know this so it was understandable why he asked.

But still, why did he ask right at this moment?

"Kakashi," Sarutobi said, taking Kakashi out of his current thoughts to glance at his leader in confusion. "When I assigned this team to you, you promised me when they passed, you will do all that you can to protect them and to see them grow as powerful shinobi…And yet, at the first chance you get, you dump Naruto in some unknown village."

"He didn't dump him!" Sakura suddenly shouted, which caused Kakashi to look at her in surprise. Sakura was always very respectful whenever in the presence of the Hokage but it seemed like now, she threw that out the window.

What was going on?

"You weren't there Hokage-sama…you didn't see all Naruto did for that Wave! He not only helped build the bridge, but he feed those that couldn't feed themselves but he managed to turn an enemy into a good guy and saved Wave from Gato and that steam guy, Han! The village hailed him as a hero all night! That village loves him, a lot more than this one does…" Sakura then drifted off and lowered her head in shame and added "Would you want to come back to a place that hates you?"

Kakashi had to admit; Sakura had a good point and then added "Think about it, it's no secret that Naruto had been treated very poorly here while there, he is hailed as a hero. Do you blame him for not wanting to return here; to the place that has hurt him time and again?"

"Regardless, that is not for you to decide. He is a shinobi of this village and as such, he needs to come back at any and all costs," the Hokage replied with a firm tone. "Haruno, Uchiha, I want the both of you to bring me Yūhi Kurenai, Maito Gai and Sarutobi Asuma immediately!"

Kakashi was confused by this request but then he realized that he's trying to get rid of them to talk privately so with a glance at Sakura and Sasuke, he nodded at them and said "That was an order. Get out of here."

Sakura and Sasuke nodded and quickly left the room, leaving Kakashi and the Hokage alone.

The air was tense as the two men eyed each other in the room and Kakashi was unsure what was going to happen left but he refused to show his nervousness. Instead, Kakashi began to think.

What was going to happen?

After a few more seconds passed, Sarutobi closed his eyes and said "I know that you know of Naruto's heritage…We have spoken of it many times. From when I denied you adopting him to reluctantly letting you guard him…You had begged me for years for him to be with you and when I finally relent, you let him leave. Why?"

Kakashi remained quiet for several seconds before he said "Because every shinobi, whether Genin or Jōnin have the choice to decide what they want in their shinobi life. Naruto felt lost. After all that had happened, he didn't know who he was anymore. He died, Hokage-sama…He came back and not only defeated Han but he took the life of Gato. And as Sakura and I mentioned, he's a hero there…"

Kakashi looked up at the ceiling and said with a subtle hint of a sad sigh and said "I want him here…I want to be able to be his sensei and to teach him all that he needs but I want him to find himself in a place where people actually want him and treat him as the hero he truly is compared to him being here where people treat him like he's nothing…"

Kakashi remained silent by this but kept his eye on his elder as said elder said "Also, I know that you are trying to treat Naruto as Minato treated you after all you had gone through but despite you being his father's final student and his sensei, in the end, Minato's final note asked for me to look after him, not you and that is what I plan to do…Starting by removing the chance I gave you…You are no longer the sensei of Uzumaki Naruto."

Kakashi's eye widened in horror at this.

"W-What?" Kakashi stammered, the cool façade that he was able to keep on cracking at this news.

"You heard me…You are no longer Uzumaki Naruto's sensei. I hate that it had to come to this but the fact of the matter is that I gave you a chance after your years of pleading for it and you let me down. Haruno-san and Uchiha-san are you sole responsibilities now."

"Hokage-sama, please reconsider!" Kakashi stated as he took a step forward. "There aren't any other shinobi that are able to teach him."

"In your case, you are correct," Sarutobi responded with a hint of anger, which made Kakashi lower his head in anger.

"Then who will teach him?" Kakashi asked with a bitter tone in his voice and as if Kami hated him more, the door behind him was kicked open and an exhausted Mitarashi Anko came walking through the door with a scroll in her hand.

"Hey old man," Kakashi heard her say before he heard her say to him "Sup Scarecrow. Living the good life as a sensei?"

Kakashi could only let out another sigh.

It wasn't that he didn't like Anko. Truth was, she was one of his good friends in the village. The issue was that this was not a good time for her to come in and interrupt before he could have gotten who will be Naruto's new sensei.

"Ah, Anko-san, Just the person I was waiting for. How was the assignment?" Sarutobi asked, to which Kakashi watched Anko shrug while she placed the scroll on the desk.

"Well, everything is taken care of. I managed to get all the info you needed and all I had to do was kill four out of five of them before the final one cracked. We should be taking down the leak very soon."

Kakashi watched as Sarutobi grabbed the scroll and opened it before he nodded slowly and rolled it up before he said "You have done a good job Anko-san…Such a loyal, skilled shinobi, don't you think, Kakashi?"

"That goes without saying, Hokage-sama," Kakashi uttered with a frown beneath his mouth.

"Even good enough to take on a student?" Sarutobi asked him, which made Kakashi's eyes widen in surprise, along with Anko's as well.

Kakashi knew exactly where this was going and immediately opened his mouth to speak out against it but Anko beat him to it with a shout of "You fucking kidding me?! Me, a sensei? That's a good joke, Hokage-sama but I'm not interested in being a sensei to no snot nosed brat."

"I do feel bad Anko-san but Uzumaki Naruto does need a sensei and Kakashi has proven incapable of training him," The Hokage replied. "I need someone I can trust to train him Anko and I have chosen you…You have earned that."

Kakashi could see the look of both awe and annoyance on Anko's face and honestly, Kakashi couldn't blame her for either. She was exactly like Naruto in wanting to gain the respect and honor of those around her due to being the last test subject of Orochimaru before he fled Konoha but she had stated dozens of times during their card game meet-up that she never wanted to be a sensei.

"B-But Hokage-sama…" Anko stammered but just then, The door behind Kakashi opened and in came the ruby eyed beauty known as Kurenai, the green spandex wearing Gai and the grizzled, smoking son of the Hokage, Asuma and the three of them immediately bowed before the Hokage.

"Hokage-Sama!" The three arriving shinobi said in unison with a bow.

"Welcome Gai-san, Kurenai-san, Asuma-san. First, let me apologize for sending two genin to search the three of you out," The Hokage began. "But, I have a mission for not just you three, but for Anko and Kakashi and his team as well…"

Kakashi eyed down the Hokage with a hint of suspicion as the leader of their village turned his back on them to gaze out of the village from the large window balcony doors, a serious look on his face.

"Thanks to the actions of Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto is no longer in this village…I want all Teams Seven, Eight, and Nine along with Anko to find him and bring him back here…And if you all must do it by force…Then do so…The mission starts in three days…So get prepared…Understand?"

Gai, Kurenai and Asuma bowed while both Anko and Kakashi stared at one another, both wearing a look of annoyance and concern before they joined the three in a bow and together, the five said "Understood Hokage-sama…"

"Good…You all are dismissed for now."

Kakashi shut his eye and thought to himself _'I hope Naruto is having a better time than I am here…Damn it…'_

* * *

 ** _Wave_**

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto_**

"Whisker-nii!"

Uzumaki Naruto turned around and let a small smile appear when he saw a red haired five year old running towards him at top speed. Naruto leaned down and opened his arms and the moment he did, the girl slammed into him and gave him a huge hug.

"Kotoha-chan," Naruto said with a gentle smile on his face.

Ever since he assisted Haku with the food stand, this little red haired, green eyed five year old was the first one to get a bowl and he had even used his clones to play with her and the other children while he was feeding others.

"Kotoha-chan, what are you doing here? I thought Haku-chan went to find some new clothes for you," Naruto asked with a stern look on his face, his eyes resting on her ratty, torn grey dress that was on the girl.

He knew from Haku that this little girl was orphaned, her parents being killed by Gato during his reign of terror and something within him didn't want to leave her so alone so he took it upon himself, while he remained in Wave, to watch after her.

"She was Whisker-nii but I wanted to see you so I ran away!" The girl responded with a sweet smile on her face, which caused Naruto to let out a small, but tender smile.

"As nice as it is for you to want to spend time with me…You shouldn't have ran," Naruto told her but before a frown could appear on her face, he quickly added "Tell you what, you and I can go find Haku-chan and we can all go to find a new outfit for you."

Naruto found it hard to keep the stern look on his face but inwardly, he smiled when the girl's eyes brightened in excitement before she nodded rapidly.

Naruto rose back to his feet and rubbed her red hair before he held out his hand to her, which she grabbed with both hands and together, the two began to walk.

As the pair walked through the village, many of the citizens within it waved happily at the youth and some even came up for him to try out the various foods or trinkets that were offered, which made Naruto smile at this.

After living in years of being the pariah in Konoha and his entire former life as the loner specter in hell as Scorpion, it felt…great to be wanted and that only made his heart hurt because sooner or later, he and Haku were going to leave from this place.

 _'But if I am to find out who I truly am…I must leave this place…Despite how wonderful these people have been to me,'_ Naruto thought to himself as he waved back at a waving men that were leaving the bridge after a hard day's work.

Suddenly, he felt Kotoha's hand grip his hand slightly and he turned his head to look at her but instead of the bright smile that he had gone accustomed to; her face filled with fear.

"Kotoha-chan, are you ok?" Naruto asked her gently, his ocean blue irises gazing down at the small girl.

The girl began to shift herself behind Naruto, which only caused him to frown and curiously before he looked up to see Zabuza standing in the middle of town, his blade hosted on his back but Naruto could clearly see that Zabuza was still injured due to the bandages wrapped around his chest and torso and a few feet behind Zabuza, Was a clone holding Haku within a water orb.

"Uzumaki Naruto…You might want to let the little one go…"Zabuza breathed out, his hand gripping the hilt of his Kubikiri Hōchō before his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Because the two of us have a score to settle."

* * *

Rain: Yeah…Things aren't going too well for both Naruto nor Kakashi. How will the other Konoha Shinobi feel about going after Naruto? What will happen with Zabuza and Naruto? Only one way to find out!

Mario: See you next time!


	8. Chapter 8

Rain: And I am back with a brand new chapter! So sit back, relax and enjoy….And the first part of this chapter is a little bit…New for me so let me know how I do! Have fun and enjoy!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

 ** _Chapter Eight: Sakura's confusion, Duel of Demons Part 1  
_**

 _Why was she here?_

 _Sakura always found herself outside of his doo whenever she went around a jog through the village._

 _She knew that he wasn't there anymore. He was out of the village now…He wouldn't be at his rundown apartment._

 _But Sakura couldn't help herself._

 _She missed him._

 _"I just need to get him out of my head," Sakura said with a small sigh as she turned away to head away but just as she did, the door suddenly opened and to her surprise, Naruto was behind it._

 _Sakura's eyes widened in shock._

 _He was back…_

 _Sakura couldn't express the disbelief and joy in her chest at the sight of him standing in his doorway but he was shirtless and his was wet, as if he had gotten out the shower minutes before._

 _Sakura could feel her cheeks heat up as she gazed at his muscular form but before she could say anything, Naruto came out of his apartment and pushed her against the wall before his lips claimed hers in a deep kiss._

 _Sakura was shocked by this but instantly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, his name leaving her lips in a moan. She could feel Naruto's hands lift her up against the wall and she instantly wrapped her legs around his hips._

 _She could feel Naruto carry her into his place and she felt herself being lowered on his bed and as she opened her mouth, she felt his lips against her neck._

 _She could feel his left hand between her legs as his lips licked and bite at her neck and the moment she felt his fingers dip into her, she gasped out in sweet agony at the intense pleasure that flew through her._

 _"P-Please Naruto-kun," Sakura panted out, feeling his fingers teasingly rub against her inner walls slowly._

 _She bit her bottom lip and squeezed the sheets beneath her as he started to pump his fingers in and out of her at a quicker pace and it was leaving her mewling and moaning his name, realizing that she need more of him._

 _She wanted to drown in his desire for her._

 _But then he removed his fingers from within her and at first she was confused._

 _She looked down to see why he had stopped when she felt his tongue enter her and it was then she let out a sob of pleasure-_

* * *

 ** _Konohagakure no Sato - Haruno Sakura's Room_**

 ** _Haruno Sakura_**

Sakura woke up with a gasp, her face burning hot as sweat dripped down her face.

"W-What the hell?" She stammered out, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She had decided to take a nap after she had completed her mission to gather Team 8, Team 9 and Team 10's Sensei but had she had known she would have that dream, she wouldn't have taken that nap.

She lowered her gaze and felt her ears burning as remembered Naruto's hand between her legs…She could remember his lips against hers in that bruising kiss and his lips against her neck.

She had never had dreams like that before, not even of Sasuke and yet…She had one of Naruto…Sakura could feel desire settling in her veins as she thought of how he handled her in her dream like she was the end all be all

"I need to go for a walk…" Sakura stated.

But first…A very cold bath needed to occur.

* * *

 ** _Konohagakure no Sato – Streets_**

 ** _Haruno Sakura_**

After taking the coldest bath imaginable, Sakura found herself walking down the streets of the village, watching as everyone laughed and sung and generally had an air of happiness.

 _'No doubt caused by Naruto-kun not being here,'_ Sakura thought with a bitter frown on her face as she continued her walk.

Ever since she returned here, she felt genuine loathing of her village for how they treated Naruto…Along with how she had treated him and why shouldn't she?

For years, she thought that her village couldn't do no wrong. That they were the best of the best but now that she realized what had happened to one of the brightest people in the village, there was a darkness that she couldn't fathom how she could look at this place with such purity.

It angered her at how blind she was.

It was then that Sakura happened upon Ichikaru's Ramen stand and her eyes softened.

She knew that Naruto loved this place when he was here and loved the folks that were running it as well.

"Well…might as well see what made him love this place," Sakura stated before walked into the stand and saw a brown haired seventeen year old woman hard at work but to her surprise, she saw the Hyūga Princess, Hyūga Hinata eating some ramen as well.

She didn't take Hinata as a ramen girl.

"Ah, welcome to Ichikaru's! I'm Ayame and I would love to take your order. Unfortunately, I have to make delivery! Why don't you take a seat and choose what you want and when I return, we can get you settled!" Ayame said with a bright smile on her face.

"Alright! Good luck," Sakura said to Ayame before the woman rushed out, leaving Hinata and Sakura alone in the shop.

Taking Ayame's advice, Sakura sat down on the stool beside Hinata and said "Hello Hinata-san."

Hinata turned her head and finished the rest of her noodles and said "H-Hello Sakura-s-san. How are you today?"

"Honestly…I couldn't even begin to tell you…" Sakura responded with a light blush, her mind replying her dream within her head.

"You a-are getting red in the face. Are y-you ok?" Hinata questioned with a slight stutter but Sakura laughed it off with a light laugh, her face heating up.

"I'm fine, I just have a lot on my mind," Sakura replied with a sheepish grin on her face but she didn't notice that Team 8 had walked into the ramen stand either and she only realized they were in the suite when Yamanaka Ino spoke.

"Well with that big head, Forehead-chan, I'm not surprised."

Sakura's eyes widened with anger as she whipped around and said "Drop dead Ino-Pig!" Ino laughed as she, Shikamaru and Chōji took a seat on the three stools on Sakura's left. "What are you guys doing here anyways?" Sakura asked in annoyance.

Nara Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and said "Chōji and I were in the mood for Ramen so we decided to grab some. Not to mention that Ino wanted some dumplings from here."

"The dumplings are really hot," Ino said with a happy grin on her face. "You should try some while you're here, Forehead-chan."

Sakura rolled her eyes at Ino but inwardly took her suggestion into consideration.

"Meanwhile, We apparently got an A-rank mission today," Chōji said with a proud tone, deciding to start up conversation after a moment of silence.

Sakura turned to Chōji curiously and replied "An A-rank? So soon? Well congrats but what's the mission?"

Ino huffed a bit and said "You should know. It's about that blond baka Naruto. You know, the one you guys left in Wave."

Sakura froze up in shock at Ino's words but no one noticed that Hinata's chopsticks stopped just above the nice hot broth.

"W-What do you mean?" Sakura said with a tone that told everyone in the room that to not joke around.

"Well, Asuma-Sensei told us before we came here that our team, along with Hinata's team. Team 9 and your team is teaming up to capture your abandoned teammate in Wave," Ino explained before she added "I thought you would have known."

"Considering I took a nap soon after gather Kurenai-san and Gai-san. No. I wouldn't know. But you keep saying that word. Abandoned. What the hell do you mean by that?" Sakura asked with a frown on her face.

"Well that's what the Hokage told Asuma-sensei. You guys abandoned Naruto in Wave and that we are to retrieve him," Shikamaru replied with a bored tone in his voice.

"We didn't abandon him," Sakura stated with a scowl on her face. "He decided to stay there after the mission was done. Kakashi-sensei let him as well."

"I don't care what the reason is. I'm just wondering why it's an A-Rank mission. It's only for Naruto-baka," Ino stated with a small laugh but none of the expected Sakura to slam her hands on the counter with an angered look on her face.

"What did you call him?" Sakura said softly with an angered tone in her voice.

Ino, not sensing Sakura's anger, said "I said it's only for Naruto-baka. I don't see why getting back such a loser from the Academy means for us to get an A-rank mi-"

Ino didn't see it coming.

Sakura's right hand lashed out and smacked Ino hard in the face, sending the platinum blond haired kunoichi down to the ground hard.

Ino looked up at Sakura in alarm and was about to retaliate before she saw tears falling from Sakura's eyes. "Don't you dare talk about Naruto-kun like that again! He doesn't deserve it!"

"W-What the hell are you talking about?! Naruto-Kun?! You've never called him that before. You used to call him Naruto-baka just like I did!" Ino shouted in reply as she got up to her feet with anger in her eyes.

"That was before our mission when I was fool, just like everyone else in this damn village!" Sakura replied with anger in her voice, hiding her surprise at the added suffix she had given Naruto.

Just then, Sakura felt the small hand of Hinata on her shoulder and said "S-Sakura-san…Sit down and tell u-us what happened i-instead of h-hitting Ino-san."

"Yeah because I'm going to smack her after she tells us about her lashing out like some moron," Ino muttered while she rubbed her reddened cheek with a scowl.

Sakura nodded and once every sat down, Sakura began to tell the tale of all that had occurred during her mission to Wave and all that happened with Naruto.

It had taken ten minutes but once she was done, her audience was in total shock.

"T-That…Can't be…" Shikamaru stated with a stare of disbelief. "No one could come back to life with such changes…No one…And yet N-Naruto did?"

"And he alone liberated Wave from Gato's tyranny?" Chōji asked in surprise.

"And he has a girlfriend?" Hinata asked quietly.

"I can't believe this shit is at all…" Ino said after a moment. "But…I can't even say you're lying because that's not your style…" Ino added with a lowered gaze.

Sakura nodded and said "That's why I got so pissed at you…Naruto-kun had gone through so much shit here and he was finally happy…And now I learn we have to drag him back here? Back to this hellhole he had finally escaped? How fair is that?"

"It's not," Chōji muttered softly before he said "But that's the Hokage. You have to obey his orders."

Sakura sighed and said "I wonder why Kakashi-sensei didn't tell me about the mission at all. He normally tells us right away."

"Because I was going to tell you until someone jumped the gun," Kakashi's voice suddenly rang through the shop. Everyone turned to see Kakashi standing in the opening of the shop, with Sasuke by his side.

Ino's eyes shined immediately at the sight of Sasuke but Sakura could only look at Kakashi with a frown on her face.

Just then, Ayame came from the back room and said "I am back and…Wow…quite a few more guests! Why don't you guys sit down so I can take your orders!"

* * *

 ** _Wave_**

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto_**

"Kotoha-chan, are you ok?" Naruto asked her gently, his ocean blue irises gazing down at the small girl.

The girl began to shift herself behind Naruto, which only caused him to frown and curiously before he looked up to see Zabuza standing in the middle of town, his blade hosted on his back.

Naruto could clearly see that Zabuza was still injured due to the bandages wrapped around his chest and torso but he also noticed that a few feet behind Zabuza, was a clone holding Haku within a water orb.

"Uzumaki Naruto…You might want to let the little one go…"Zabuza breathed out, his hand gripping the hilt of his Kubikiri Hōchō before his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Because the two of us have a score to settle."

Naruto growled and said "Kotoha-chan…I need you to go someplace safe. I have something to do."

The little girl nodded and ran off into a story nearby, leaving Naruto and Zabuza to face one another. "Zabuza…Despite the rough start, I have no qualms with you…However, if you do not release Haku-chan, I will have an issue with you drawing breath."

"Small words for a small gaki," Zabuza stated as he stabbed his blade into the ground. "As I told you, we have a score to settle…Because of you, I lost my tool…Therefore, I have an issue with you. If you can beat me, I will surrender Haku to you and let you two leave here…If I win. I will kill you and Haku will stay my tool…And trust me, I will make sure you have no heroic revival."

"Very well…" Naruto replied darkly.

"Good, then let us begin," Zabuza stated with a smirk. "You make the first move," Zabuza added while he crossed his arms.

Immediately, Naruto dashed forward and attempted to punch the Zabuza's face but the Nuke-Nin maneuvered around the fist and aimed a quick jab to Naruto's face.

Naruto quickly side stepped Zabuza's right fist and blocked two quick jabs from the larger man with his hands before dashing backwards to avoid the sharp knee that would have rocketed him in the air.

But despite his quick dash back, Zabuza chased after him and when he got close, Zabuza threw the right jab towards the genin but Naruto took the hit, swiftly moved back and responded with an uppercut which would have hit Zabuza, if he hadn't back flipped in time to avoid it.

Zabuza quickly dashed forward and managed to land two hits to Naruto's face before Naruto side stepped the knee and landed a solid blow to Zabuza's chest and with another step forward, Naruto's right fist slammed into the face of Zabuza's, sending him soaring back into the air before slamming to the ground.

Zabuza flipped up to his feet and gave Naruto a "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk," while he waved his index finger back and forth, causing Naruto's right eye to twitch

Zabuza dashed forward and started to deliver several quick jabs in rapid succession, causing Naruto to block the punches with his forearms along with dodging them until he saw his opening and countered with an uppercut.

Zabuza dodged once again by dashing backwards three times before charging forward and slammed his shoulder against Naruto's chest, sending Naruto soaring into the air like a rocket.

Naruto's body slammed into a wooden cart filled with hay and quickly rolled out of before he stood up and brushed the hay off his body before he walked back to where Zabuza was and smirked.

"Ready to continue?"

Zabuza smirked beneath his mask and said "Ready to continue," before both he and Naruto dashed towards one another and the moment they met, the two shinobi began to trade blows back and forth.

Zabuza threw a right hook but Naruto was able to block the hook with his right fist before he leapt up to try and knee Zabuza underneath his chin.

Zabuza dashed back to avoid the knee and aimed a straight kick to Naruto's chest but Naruto jumped above his outstretched foot and drop kicked Zabuza in the face.

Both Zabuza and Naruto fell to the ground but Naruto flipped to his feet as Zabuza did the same but when Naruto tried to kick Zabuza, Zabuza ducked the leg and dashed forward and tackled Naruto off his feet and onto the ground.

Naruto moved his head to avoid the elbow that was aimed at his face but Naruto landed a solid right hook to Zabuza's face, knocking Zabuza's head to the left where he quickly leaned forward and wrapped Zabuza's head into a chock lock with his left arm.

Zabuza punched the left side of Naruto's body three times before Zabuza forced himself to his feet, therefore lifting Naruto into the air before Zabuza placed both hands on Naruto's chest and shoved Naruto backwards as Naruto let go of his arm.

Naruto landed on his feet and smack Zabuza's right fist down and then smack Zabuza's left fist to the left before Naruto ducked down and attempted to sweep Zabuza off his feet but Zabuza leapt over the leg sweep.

But this is where Zabuza screwed up.

While Zabuza was still in the air, Naruto slammed his two palms on the ground and rocketed himself off the ground thanks to the fire in his palms and landed a hard kick to Zabuza's face. Zabuza completed three back rotations in the air before he landed on his back on the ground while Naruto landed on his feet.

The crowd watching was stunned by the show of their champion and challenger and began to cheer loudly as Zabuza rose to his feet.

"We done with the warm-up?" Naruto asked once the applause died down.

"Done with the warm-up," Zabuza responded.

Naruto instantly got on guard.

The true battle was just beginning.

* * *

Rain: And that is where I will end it. I wanted to take longer to put out the normal length of a chapter for this fic but I was tired of keeping you guys waiting. I hope you guys enjoyed it and look forward to more next time!

Mario: See you next time!


	9. Chapter 9

Rain: It took a while but I am back with a brand new chapter. This chapter will wrap up Naruto Vs Zabuza and start on the next arc in this tale so sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn_**

 ** _Chapter Nine: The Champion of Wave Vs The Hidden Mist Demon! Goodbye Wave_**

The crowd was quiet as mice as Wave's champion, Uzumaki Naruto, was standing across from his opponent, the past master of the Champion's girlfriend, The "Demon of the Hidden Mist" Momochi Zabuza.

A few feet away from the crowd, the object of the battle, The Hyōton user known as Haku was watching with fear in her eyes as she watched the man she thought of as a father and the shinobi that she was in love with standing across from one another, their faces locked in a scowl as the true battle was going to start

But the most confusing thing about this was despite the fact that Zabuza was known by his prowess with his weapon, the Kubikiri Hōchō, he hadn't touched it since the moment he stabbed it through the ground.

 _'Naruto-kun…Zabuza-sama….Please…Stop this,'_ Haku thought, her eyes filling with unshed tears before one fell down her right cheek and right when the tear hit her jaw, Zabuza and Naruto charged at one another with a shout.

Zabuza and Naruto met with a flurry of fists and kicks thrown at such an extreme rate, many people couldn't see their limbs at all.

Zabuza blocked Naruto's left jab with his right forearm before he launched his own left jab, but Naruto leaned back just enough to avoid it before Naruto was kicked hard in the chest, sending the genin skidding backwards on his feet.

Naruto quickly leapt into the and delivered a flying kick to Zabuza's face, causing Zabuza to stagger backwards but Zabuza quickly grabbed the right hook Naruto aimed at his face and quickly tossed Naruto over his shoulder.

Naruto landed on the with his back towards Zabuza and quickly turned around and lunged both of his hands forward and two thick strand of hellfire shot out from his wrist and towards Zabuza.

Zabuza grabbed the hilt of his sword and pulled it from the ground and quickly swung it just as the two streams of hellfire got close, knocking the streams into the air where they quickly vanished.

Naruto growled and leapt forward and shot out another thick strand of hellfire shot out from his wrist and towards Zabuza, who swung his blade downward and blocked the third hellfire stream.

Naruto however anticipated this and swiftly ran towards Zabuza with his feet ignited and quickly leapt up and kicked Zabuza in the chest with his flame covered feet, causing Zabuza to drop his sword as he flew back and collided through a brick wall.

Naruto landed on the ground and then flipped up to his feet where he then grabbed the blade and threw it as hard as possible through the hole Zabuza had made.

A few seconds later however, a large shout of "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu)!" and moments later, a large water dragon came flying from the hole towards Naruto.

Naruto gritted his teeth and shot out two strands of hellfire from his wrists right towards the open mouth of the dragon and the moment that the hellfire strands and the dragon met, the dragon exploded into the steam while the hellfire continued forward.

But unlike the last two times, the hellfire cooled down into chains, revealing to Naruto that his chains had hooked into something.

"Come here!" Naruto bellowed as he pulled the chains towards him and that was when a large slab of a brick wall came barreling towards him.

Naruto dismissed the chains and when the wall came close, Naruto ran forward and slammed both palms against the flying brick wall, stopping it so it wouldn't hit anyone in the crowd behind him.

And the moment he stopped it, the brick wall exploded as Zabuza's fist came into view and slammed into Naruto's face, not only shattering the wall but sending Naruto flying backwards into a tree, which was the only thing in the way from him slamming into everyone.

As Naruto started to fall forward, Zabuza suddenly ran towards Naruto and slammed his left knee into Naruto's stomach, making him gasp out in agony before Naruto was thrown over Zabuza's shoulder and into the air.

Naruto forced himself to recover in the air and landed on both feet before he fell onto his right knee and panted slightly. Zabuza turned around and held the right side of his bandaged side and gave a smirk and said "Give up yet kid?"

Naruto chuckled and shook his head and gave a smirk of his own and replied "The only point in time I will give up is when my soul is being torn apart in the Netherrealm."

 _'There it is…That determination that Haku had told me about,'_ Zabuza thought to himself with a thoughtful frown on his face. "Gaki...Haku told me something the day you died and came back…She told me that she would help you fill this world with light. Tell me…What made you want decide this was your mission?"

Naruto rose to his feet and panted heavily as he answered "Tazuna and this village was the reason for my purpose…"

"Explain this to me," Zabuza ordered, needing to hear this from the kid's own mouth.

Naruto chuckled softly and said "Despite being a drunkard, Tazuna was courageous enough to want to see this village shine with hope. He, and all of those that died before him, fought against that bastard Gato to bring that hope back to this village."

Naruto then gazed at his hands and said "Despite everyone calling me a hero, a champion of this village. I am none of that…The powers that helped me save this place…was created by my own thirst for revenge and anger that stemmed from my failure to protect the ones I love…The evil that these hands had done for my failed cause is unmatched…"

The crowd was extremely focused on Naruto as he stood tall and said "I'm not the champion this village claims I am…I am a failure of a shinobi…The heroes…The true champions of Wave is Tazuna, Kazuma, and many others before me who have bleed, cried, fought and died for this village. They were the ones that saved this place...They had the light of hope forever shining in the shades of despair…"

Naruto took a deep breath and looked Zabuza in the eyes as he said "The power that I have was created by my hate and my desire for revenge…But I made a vow to use these powers to bring hope and love to not only my village but to the world beyond…I want to be the light that shines even through the darkest of nights! That is my purpose."

Zabuza smirked.

"It's ironic…I had the same dreams when I staged a coup on my former Kage…And I failed and barely escaped with my life…My light faded and burned out...I doubt you the resolve to stick true to those words!" Zabuza shouted at Naruto with anger in his voice.

"You dare try to call me a liar?!" Naruto roared out. "I will be the light this world needs and I will kill anyone that stands my way!"

Zabuza gave a dark grin and ran his hands through some seals before he shouted "Then show me your resolve, Uzumaki Naruto! Suiton: Dassui Ame (Water Release: Draining Rain)!"

The area around Zabuza and Naruto's battle suddenly became dark as grey clouds formed over their makeshift arena and once they were created, a heavy amount of rain came pouring down on both combatants.

"Now come and fight me 'Light of Hope'," Zabuza mocked as he spread his arms out before he added "So I can snuff you out!"

Naruto scoffed at this and started to run towards Zabuza once more but the minute he took his first step, he realized that he was slower and that he was starting to feel a little weaker.

Naruto pressed forward and continued to charge forward and once he got close, he leapt up with his left knee on fire and attempted to nail Zabuza in the face but Zabuza, who was now quicker, stepped to the side to avoid the knee before he kicked Naruto in the back hard enough for Naruto to bend against his foot.

Zabuza then grabbed Naruto's head and twisted his body before tossing Naruto into a flower stand, shattering the wooden stand upon impact.

Naruto laid upside down in the wooden crater before he forced himself out of it but found himself heavier than he was before and asked "What is this jutsu?"

"Suiton: Dassui Ame…" Zabuza answered with a smirk. "With every drop of rain that hits you, it feels as if five pounds is added to your body but not only that, it slowly drains your chakra as well. I told you Gaki, the warm-up is over."

Naruto rolled out of the wreckage and rose to his feet and spat on the ground, his blue eyes seemingly glowing through the dense rain that was pouring over him and said "I'll defeat you all the same."

"Big talk gaki," Zabuza said as he rolled his right shoulder before he said "Let's see if you can back it up."

Zabuza then wasted no time and quickly charged to Naruto and aimed a punch at Naruto's face and as fast as Naruto had tried to move, He was unable to block Zabuza's fist from smashing into his face, which sent Naruto flying back and crashing into a fruit stand.

Naruto flipped back to his feet but was immediately punched back down by Zabuza's hard left jab but when Naruto was on the ground, his right leg and left leg trapped Zabuza's own legs and with a twist of his legs, Naruto sent Zabuza falling onto his back and that was where Naruto rammed his fist against Zabuza's face as hard as possible, causing Zabuza to slide backwards.

Naruto got up on his feet and used all of his strength to run towards the downed Zabuza and with a forward flip, Naruto stretched his right leg and slammed it across the bandaged chest of Zabuza hard enough for Zabuza to grunt in pain.

Zabuza grabbed Naruto's leg and forced it off of his leg but Naruto aimed his left fist towards Zabuza's face but the elder shinobi grabbed the fist and swung Naruto off the ground and to his right.

Naruto's body bounced from the hard impact of the ground but Naruto quickly rolled away to avoid Zabuza's fist and quickly got onto his feet before he fell on one knee and panted, the weight of every rain drop that hit his body began to get heavier.

Zabuza chuckled as he rose to his feet and said "Get ready for more because this is where you will lose. Suiton: Suiryuusou (Water Release: Water Flowing Lance)!"

The rain from his still active jutsu flowed into his hand, forming a lance out of it and with a smirk, Zabuza launched the lance at Naruto. Naruto leapt to the left to avoid it but because of the previous jutsu, he was still struck in the side.

Naruto skidded to the side and held his hand against the bleeding spot where the middle of his ribs where and quickly had to avoid another water lance that was thrown his way and this time, he was fully successful in dodging it.

Naruto had to push his body to the limit as he maneuvered away from the lances until another one managed to slice his right shoulder.

Naruto fell to his left knee and panted as Zabuza stood with a water lance in his right and left hands and spat on the ground.

"Amazing…" Zabuza told the youth, a hint of pride in his voice. "The only one who could keep moving through the combination of these jutsus was Haku. To see another one do it is amazing. Perhaps you aren't just talking big."

Naruto had remained silent but through the dense rain, Zabuza saw a flicker of red-orange fire in the youth's eyes.

"Regardless of how impressive you are, you cannot win. Just give up kid…No matter how strong you think you are, even in my weakened state, I can beat you no problem. Just walk away," Zabuza told Naruto's kneeling form.

"I refuse…" Naruto stated as he glared at Zabuza from his kneeling state.

"Why not?" Zabuza asked him roughly.

"The minute you put someone I care about in danger, I will tear myself apart to save them," Naruto panted out with a bitter scowl on his face as he rose to his feet.

Zabuza instantly realized he was speaking about Haku and chuckled softly. "Why should I let her go with you? She is a broken tool who is unable to defend anyone since she met you. She needs to be forced to be what I created her to be."

"She is no one's tool!" Naruto growled out angrily.

"She was mine!" Zabuza shouted in reply. "I saved her from death due to her bloodline! I trained her to serve me and me alone therefore, she belongs to me!" Zabuza then smirked as he recalled something Naruto had said earlier.

"Those powers came from you failing to protect those you loved…Why should I let my tool free to be with a failure like you?!" Zabuza shouted.

Naruto's eyes became emblazoned with fury and the orange particles around him formed into an aura of pure hellfire.

Zabuza's eyes widened a bit as the flames began to widen around Naruto's form and he quickly formed several seals and shouted "Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"

The water around Zabuza quickly formed behind Zabuza and shot out towards Naruto but just as it reached the blond, Naruto leapt towards the dragon and punched it, causing the dragon to disperse into steam.

Zabuza growled and summoned two water lances into his two hands and launched them both towards Naruto but they too were rendered into steam by the charging Naruto.

Zabuza growled and charged towards Naruto as he reared back his right hand and said "Suiton: Suiryūdan Nakkuru (Water Style: Water Dragon Knuckle)!" The water swirled around his right fist to form the head of a dragon.

Naruto reared back his right fist as a whirlwind of hellfire wrapped around his fist and with a shout, the two slammed their respective elemental fists slammed against one another but due to the pure might of their attacks, the two were blown back.

Naruto skidded back on his feet before he fell onto his left knee while Zabuza skidded back on both feet but Zabuza quickly dashed towards Naruto with a shout of "Suiton: Suiryūdan Nakkuru!"

And just as Zabuza was in front of Naruto, flames roared to life around the genin's feet as Naruto quickly rose to his feet and performed a backflip, which scrapped against Zabuza's chest before it nailed Zabuza under his chin, sending Zabuza flying backwards into the air, rotating backwards twice before slamming into the ground on his chest just as Naruto landed on his feet.

All was quiet for a moment as the jutsu above the two began to fade away, causing the clear blue sky to appear back above them. The clone of Zabuza quickly disappeared along with the water orb, which allowed Haku to finally be free.

The flames around Naruto faded and Naruto quickly fell to both knees and panted heavily as Haku joined his side and hugged him tightly, which he returned just as tightly.

"Idiot!" Haku whispered softly against his shoulder as she pulled away and kissed him deeply, something Naruto was glad to return before he chuckled but he then noticed that Zabuza had started to rise onto one knee.

Through his wavering vision, Zabuza saw that Haku was beside Naruto and let a hint of a smile form on his face before he frowned.

"Y-You…" Zabuza began to stay, his vision once again fading briefly before he shook his head and willed his vision to become sharp once again before he said "Would continue to fight for her? No matter what?"

"You were right before…I did fail to save those I cared for…" Naruto growled out, memories of his wife Hitomi and his son Satoshi dying underneath just as he took his own last breath before this new life.

"But I risked and lost it all to save Haku once before...If I have to die again to save her and anyone I care for…I will do it with a smile…Just as I did before…"

Zabuza could feel the blood dripping down the middle of his chest and stomach and let out a small chuckle as a memory played though his mind.

* * *

 ** _Flashback_**

 ** _Wave – Battle on the Bridge_**

 _Zabuza didn't see this coming at all._

 _One moment, Haku was in front of him, ready to take Kakashi's Raikiri to protect him but this blond idiot had shoved her out of the way at the last second, much to everyone's shock._

 _And what made it even worse was that Kakashi couldn't stop in time, causing him to impale his own idiot shinobi. "Barely made it," the kid wheezed out, blood dribbling from his mouth as he gave a weak smile towards Zabuza himself, who blinked in shock._

 _Zabuza watched Kakashi withdraw his arm from Naruto before the genin fell then felt the arm backwards to the ground with a wet, disgusting smacking sound._

 _"No! Naruto-kun!" Zabuza heard Haku scream out in horror as she fell to Naruto's side, tears pouring out of her eyes at the fact that Naruto had taken the bullet for her._

 _"Why? Why did you do this?!" She demanded angrily, her hands clenching his torn orange jumpsuit, something Zabuza needed to know as well._

 _"N-Needed to…do…i-it," Naruto wheezed out weakly._

 _Zabuza could see that the kid was struggling to hang on as Haku screamed his name in agony but all Zabuza could see was that the kid was smiling proudly, despite the fact that he was going to die._

 _Why would he be proud of the fact that he was dying saving his enemy?_

 _"Kakashi….sensei…s-sorry…" Zabuza heard Naruto pant out. Zabuza's eyes then flashed to the increasingly upset Kakashi._

 _This guy, who was confidant and cocky just moments ago looked as if he was the one dying instead of his student, something that made Zabuza frown._

 _"Why did you do it Naruto?" Kakashi asked solemnly, unable to understand why he had done what he did._

 _For the enemy to boot._

 _"H-H-Haku-chan…Love…her," Naruto stated with a weak smile on his face, his skin now becoming pale. "S-She…nee…needed to s-stay…a-a-alive. She w-was t-t-t-torn between her lo…love of me and her loyalty t-t-to Zabu…Za…"_

 _Zabuza was thunderstruck by this admission._

 _This kid…sacrificed his life to save Haku, his enemy, because he loved her?_

 _No…How could that be possible?!_

 _"Naruto-kun, y-you selfless fool!" Zabuza heard Haku shout angrily and helplessly as she looked at his bloody, pale face. "My life is meaningless! I failed Zabuza-sama…I failed you…I am a failure in every meaning of the word! W-Why sacrifice your life for me? A worthless tool?! Why Naruto-kun?! You deserved your life more than I ever did!"_

 _Haku would have continued to rant if not for Naruto placing a hand on top of her head, causing her to stop speaking immediately._

 _"W…W-What good wou…would I be…If I-I-I let my precious….per..son die?" Naruto breathed out with a smile before he leaned his head back and let out a final breath._

 ** _End Flashback_**

* * *

 ** _Wave – Present Time_**

 ** _Momochi Zabuza_**

Zabuza chuckled once more as he faced Naruto and said "I see…I finally understand what she sees in you…Uzumaki Naruto."

Zabuza stood up on shaky legs and walked towards his discarded Kubikiri Hōchō and picked it up before he also grabbed the large back that Haku had been carrying before he ambushed her and trapped her in his jutsu.

Once he lifted them, Zabuza walked towards Naruto, who was now on his feet with some assistance from Haku and stopped before the two.

Zabuza then stabbed the large blade into the ground before Naruto and handed the large back to Haku with a small "Here you go," before he said to Naruto "I'm leaving both of my prized possessions in your hands…Take care of them as they have of me."

Naruto looked at the large blade and slowly, he placed his hand around the hilt before he looked to Zabuza and nodded wordlessly.

Zabuza chuckled and said with an impressed tone "I can't wait to see the changes you will make on this world…Light of Hope."

Zabuza then turned around and began to walk away but he stopped when he heard Haku's voice shout out "Zabuza-sama!"

Zabuza turned his head and looked at the sadness in Haku's eyes and let a loving smile appear on his face and said "Haku…I haven't been your master since the moment I held your body as you slept after your first mission…"

Haku gasped at this admission before tears fell down her cheeks. Zabuza chuckled and said "Take care…Musume (Daughter)…" before he turned around and walked past the now parted crowd and once the crowd came together and rushed towards Naruto and Haku, Zabuza coughed violently and fell to one knee.

But as he kneeled there, two feet appeared in his vision. Zabuza looked up and saw Tsunami standing before him.

"Are you ok?" She whispered softly to him.

"I will be," Zabuza muttered softly as he held his bloody chest with another cough.

Tsunami kneeled down and helped Zabuza to his feet placed his arm around her shoulders to allow him to be somewhat stable and said "Come…"

Zabuza chuckled and leaned against her and together, the two walked off back to Tsunami's house.

* * *

 ** _Wave Village – One Day Later_**

 ** _Uzumaki Naruto and Momochi Haku_**

"Naruto…Haku…You two have done a great deal for this village and there is no way we could thank either of you enough," Tazuna said as he stood in front of a refreshed Naruto and Haku, both of them dressed in new attire.

Haku was now dressed in white pinstriped outfit that stopped at her knees. Over the outfit was a black haori with white trimmings, and around her waist was a dark slate grey sash with a fringed trail wrapped around her waist twice.

Haku's long hair was gathered in a black bun holder, while two locks of her hair fell loose framing her face, bound with metal hair cuffs at the end of her locks and around her neck was Kirigakure no Sato Hiate-ite.

Naruto was now dressed in a black short sleeved skintight shirt that had a single orange strip going down the left side of his shirt.

He also wore black shinobi pants that fell comfortable at his ankles and on his hands were black fingerless gloves with steel plating over the knuckles of each glove.

Over his waist was his old orange jacket that he couldn't part with and on his forehead was his Konohagakure no Sato Hiate-ite but instead of a black sash, an orange one was in its place.

On Naruto's back was Zabuza's Kubikiri Hōchō, fastened by the black sword holster that was wrapped around his torso.

"You guys don't have to thank us," Naruto said with a small smile. "You put in all the effort to save this place. All we did was lend you our strength," Naruto continued.

"You give us far too much created," Tazuna said with a joyful laugh before he said "I know that you two must go but you two are welcome here always."

Tazuna and Naruto shook hands before Tsunami bought Naruto into a tight hug and after she released her grip, Haku was given a handshake and a hug as well.

"I'll miss you both!" Inari said, trying to hold back his tears as he hugged Naruto and Haku tightly when they were kneeled at his height.

"We'll miss you too," Haku whispered to Inari with Naruto nodding in agreement as the two returned his hug.

Naruto and Haku then turned to Kotoha, who now was dressed in a brand new pink and white dress and on arm was the black sash that Naruto previously wore around his forehead and handing from her neck as Haku's hunter-nin mask.

But as Haku and Naruto imagined, Kotoha had tears in her eyes. "I don't want you guys to leave," Kotoha sniffled out as she hugged Naruto and Haku as tightly as she could. "Please don't leave," She cried as tears fell down her face.

"We won't be gone for long Kotoha-chan," Haku whispered softly as she and Naruto held the small girl tightly.

"We'll be back before you know it, we promise," Naruto whispered softly as he kissed the side of her head. "Besides, Inari and his family will watch after you."

"Damn right," Tazuna said with a smile. "This little girl's father was the first one to help me with the bridge before he passed. It would be criminal if she didn't stay with us for good."

Kotoha nodded tearfully and held out her hands, which had each pinky out as she asked "Pinky promise?"

Naruto and Haku smiled at each other before the two wrapped their pinkies around hers and said "We promise" in unison.

The little girl smiled and gave them each a tight hug before she joined Inari by his side and wiped her tears.

Naruto and Haku rose to their feet and gave a bow to the crowd before the two of them walked out of the village, both of them smiling as the village gave a mass farewell cheer of their names.

"So…Where will we go first?" Haku asked with a smile on her face.

"I was thinking we go wherever our feet takes us," Naruto said with a bright smile on his face.

"That sounds fine with me," Haku responded before the two traded soft kisses before they ran off into the unknown.

* * *

Rain: And the Wave Arc is completely done! The next chapter will set up the new arc I would like to call "The sound of Violence" Arc. So until then…

Mario: See you next time!


	10. Chapter 10

Rain: Hello all, I am back with a brand new chapter for _**Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn** _ and I'm so sorry it took so long. I honestly do not like this chapter at all but after all the hell I've been through with it from re-writes to other issues, I figured that I can put out this filler chapter then get into the meat of things next chapter.

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn  
Chapter Ten: The Uzumaki Hunting Squad! Journey to Hisako  
_**

"Kakashi-Sensei, I do not like this at all," Sakura whispered angrily as she sat in-between Kakashi and Sasuke on a wooden bench near the gate of the village, both of which were looking as angry as she felt.

None of the three members of Team 7 wanted to be here or do this mission at all but while two of them shared the same reason, Sasuke had his own reasons.

* * *

 ** _Flashback  
Wave Village  
Uchiha Sasuke_**

 _Sasuke quickly found out that mocking Naruto was a mistake when Naruto's irises faded away, leaving his eyes completely white before fire ignited within and around his eyes, the skin around his eyes started to glow orange-red and crack._

 ** _"CONTINUE TO MOCK ME AND I WILL BLACKEN YOUR BONES!"_** _Naruto roared out in his face, causing Sasuke to freeze up in terror he hadn't felt since…that time._

 _He could hear the raw rage and power echoing through Naruto's now deepened voice and of course, having the blond with literal fire in his eyes and his skin looking as if it would explode in flames told Sasuke that Naruto meant every word that he said._

 ** _"I AM THE REASON YOU ARE STILL BREATHING AND NOT AMONG THE DEAD AT THIS VERY MOMENT. I COULD HAVE LET YOU AND SAKURA AND EVERYONE PERISH AT THE HANDS OF THAT SHINOBI AND GATO BUT I, IN MY WEAKENED STATE CAME BACK WHEN I HAD NO REASON TO RETURN TO SUCH A WRETCHED, ARROGANT LOT LIKE YOURSELF. AND INSTEAD OF GETTING A TINY BIT OF THANKS, YOU DARE BELITTLE ME AND THEN ATTACK ME WHEN MY BACK IS TURNED?! HOW DARE YOU?!"_**

 _Sasuke could feel the heat around him increase before he noticed out of the corner of his eye that a bunch of grass suddenly exploded in a burst of fire appear a few inches away from his left arm._

 _What had he done?_

 _Sasuke then felt Naruto's grip on his neck tighten which caused him to wheeze out a breath but Naruto continued on. **"IF YOU EVER, IN YOUR PATHETIC LIFE, EVER CROSS ME THE WAY YOU HAVE TODAY, I WILL RECTIFY SAVING YOUR LIFE HERE AND FORCEFULLY REMOVE YOUR HEAD FROM YOUR SHOULDERS AND BATHE YOU IN HELLFIRE OF THE NETHERREALM, AM I UNDERSTOOD?!"**_

 _"I UNDERSTAND!" Sasuke wheezed out in horror as more fire came exploding into life around them but as soon as he said these words, he found himself staring into the crystal blue eyes of Naruto instead of the inferno that were there moments before._

 _"Good…Now be gone…"_

* * *

 ** _End Flashback  
Konohagakure no Sato – Present Time  
Team 7_**

Since that time, Sasuke had been having severe nightmares.

Nightmares of eyes filled with hellfire along with the eyes of his brother's. Both of them staring down at him with malice and hate. Sasuke did not want to have the owner of the first set of eyes back in this village due to this pathetic fear.

And yet for some reason, the Hokage wanted him back…Why did he want this…this monster back in their village…Don't they know how dangerous he was to them?

"None of us like this Haruno but we'll just have to deal with this," Sasuke stated with an aggravated tone in his voice, which made Sakura look at him with a quirk of her brow before she shook her head.

Ever since the mission in Wave along with her dream of Naruto, Sakura felt her crush on the Uchiha heir dwindling day by day and she didn't understand how that could be possible at first but as she took a long hard think on it, she realized that despite him being really cool, he wasn't receptive of her or anyone else in that matter.

He kept everyone at a distance and when anyone got too close, he would demean them until they went away.

Sakura also theorized that perhaps spending time with the warm, sunny shinobi known as Uzumaki Naruto made her realize that the brooding bad boy thing wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.

"We shouldn't have to drag him back. He was going to come back on his own," Sakura murmured to Kakashi softly. "If we try to force him to come back to where he doesn't want to be, he may never come back."

"I know," Kakashi replied softly. "But the Hokage has us by the proverbial balls. Either way, I'll be losing Naruto as my student. The best thing we can do is just find him and explain the situation."

Sakura nodded and said "I hope he understands…"

Kakashi looked down at Sakura and narrowed his eye in thought. 'Ever since the mission, her attitude on Naruto has literally taken a 180 degree change…' Kakashi then smiled and thought 'Good…I'm glad…That's another person he will need on his side.'

Kakashi's brief good mood quickly died when he saw the other teams assigned and said to Sakura and Sasuke "Well…let's get to it then."

With a nod from his two students, the three of them stood up from the bench and stretched their limbs just as the large team of Shinobi stopped in front of them. "Well, The Uzumaki Hunting Squad has arrived," Kiba said with an excited grin on his face, with an added woof from the excited Akamaru.

"Can that not become a thing please?" Sakura asked with a noticeable frown on her face, clearly not pleased by

"He's been calling it that since we joined up with them," Shikamaru muttered with sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose as he mumbled "How troublesome…"

"I agree. To have to drag him back here…Must be dreadful," Shino responded, having been told of what Naruto went through by Hinata, who was strangely quiet but she had an air of determination around her that was felt by everyone around her.

"Come on now, do you guys honestly expect me to believe Naruto did all of that?" Kiba asked with a laugh. "The Dead-Last of us? Defeating someone that defeated the Copy-Nin, Zabuza and his girlfriend…Also, him getting a girlfriend? Fighting some powerful shinobi and winning? Laughable."

Neji chuckled and said "As much as it pains me to say this, I agree with this low level genin. There is no feasible way that your Dead-Last could ever match, nor defeat, anyone that can defeat Zabuza and Kakashi."

Sakura hissed at their words but she then only smirked. "Fine, don't believe me. You'll see when we get there."

Sasuke merely scoffed and crossed his arms.

Kakashi looked at all the entire group and said "Let's go guys. We're burning daylight." The group nodded and quickly dashed out of the village gates and into the wild.

Asuma chuckled suddenly as the large group dashed through tree to tree and said "It's not a bad name," a lit cigarette dangling from his lips.

Kakashi, who was next to him, looked at him curiously before he realized what Asuma was talking about and merely scowled but before he could say anything, another voice came in from between the two.

"Easy for you to say, Asuma," Anko responded with a scowl on her face, having been told by Kakashi about what went down between him and Naruto that caused all of this. "We're basically dragging back someone who was going to come back…Doesn't that seem wrong?"

Asuma shrugged and tapped the dust from his cigarette before placing it back into his mouth and taking another drag as he replied "Not really. He's a genin in a shinobi world. He has no say in leaving his team for another village, shinobi village or not."

Kurenai, who was running beside Kakashi, shook her head at this and replied "At the same time Asuma, Anko and I did this at his age as well with no issues. I do agree that this feels wrong but we have our orders."

Anko nodded with a sullen look and looked towards Kakashi as if to say "I tried" before she scoffed and said "Let's just hurry up and find the Gaki. Where would he be, Kakashi?"

"Simple…He's in Wave…" Kakashi stated before he said "Double time! I may not want to do this but let's try to make this as quick and painless as possible!"

* * *

 ** _The Shinobi Lands  
Uzumaki Naruto and Momochi Haku_**

It had been three hours since Naruto and Haku had left Wave and so far, things were looking bright. The sky was crystal blue with some beautiful white clouds floating within the sky.

There were no threats, no terror, just the two of them walking down the dirt road as a cool, gentle breeze caused their clothes to flow with it.

The sun reflected off of Naruto's Wave made Hiate-Ite which read "The Champion of Wave" in Kanji, which caused him to close his left eyes in a wince. "Are you ok, Naruto-kun?" Haku asked him gently as Naruto rubbed his left eye with a smile on his face.

"I'm doing alright Haku-chan," Naruto responded gently and that was the truth. For all of his existence, he had never seen a sky so clear before without the smell of burning corpses and gunfire in the air.

He could hear the birds chirping in the trees and could see the many animals scurrying here and there. Along with the sounds and the sky above, Naruto felt at peace.

Something that he had never been in his previous life…

Naruto shut his eyes and let a soft laugh leave his lips before he said "I'm doing better than alright," Naruto admitted with a larger smile on his face. "It feels so strange to be this happy…" Naruto told Haku gently as he looked to her.

"To smell the nice crisp air around us. To look at the sky and see nothing but blue, and the occasional white. To not have to fear that some force beyond your abilities will come and take your soul…It feels…Nice," Naruto summarized before he let out another genuine laugh.

Haku stared at Naruto and felt a warm feeling in her chest as he laughed. She had heard him and saw him with his guard down many times but seeing him like this, it made her heart fill with love for him.

Without warning, Haku leaned close and placed a rather gentle kiss on a still laughing Naruto's lips, which caused him to stop laughing before he returned her kiss gladly before the two pulled away and rested their forehead against the other's.

"What was that for?" Naruto whispered softly, slightly dazed from the sudden kiss.

Haku merely smiled at this before she murmured "Seeing you this happy…You look truly at peace…I guess I couldn't help it…"

Naruto laughed and said "Well then why stop?"

Haku giggled softly and moved away from him and responded "Because we need to get to the next village." Haku pulled out a map that the kind citizens of Wave had given her and said "Which is…Hisako."

Haku then tilted her head and said "Just Hisako…That is strange…A lot of the villages in our world have some grand name but this is just…Hisako. Just strange to me."

Naruto quirked a brow at this and gave a small shrug before he asked "How far is it from our currently location?"

Haku rolled up the map and placed it back into her bag as she said "It's only a few miles ahead."

Naruto smiled and said "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get there pronto!" Haku nodded and together, the two dashed forward to make their way to this village.

After thirty minutes of intense running, the two quickly found themselves approaching the village but as they neared closer, Naruto could hear something.

It was very faint but Naruto could make out dozens of voices sing in unison _"Kie nai Hisako, honoo no haka (Indelible Hisako, tomb of flame),"_ which caused Naruto to skid to a stop immediately, which caused Haku to stop as well.

"Naruto-Kun…What is wrong?" Haku asked but Naruto held up his hand to stop her. The faint singing began to fade away but Naruto looked troubled.

What in the world was that?

"I don't know…" Naruto responded as he narrowed his eyes. "It must be nothing. Let's head to the village as quickly as possible. Something isn't sitting right with me and I'd like to get there before sundown…"

Haku looked at him in concern before she nodded and just as quickly as they stopped, the two started to trek to the village of Hisako but if they had stayed just a little bit longer, they would have noticed a small green orb floating in where they stood.

 ** _"Spectre…"_** a female disembodied voice whispered gently as the green orb flew after the two shinobi.

* * *

Rain: As I said, I do not like this chapter at all and after many rewrites along with my computer eating my last 7,000 word chapter, I figured this would suffice. Ugh. The next chapter will be a lot longer and will reveal Naruto and Haku's enemies from outside and within this village. So until then…

Mario: See you next time!


	11. Chapter 11

Rain: I am back with a brand new chapter! Time for the enemies to reveal themselves so sit back, relax and enjoy!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn  
Chapter Eleven: Hellfire in Hisako! A Mysterious Ally's note  
_**

It was high noon when Naruto and Haku finally made it to the village and despite the ominous feeling that Naruto had felt previously due to the whisper of the some disembodied female, the village itself was very beautiful.

All of the buildings, from the houses to the markets to even the town hall were built with grey colored stones and near the bottom of the buildings, there were blue colored stones along with gold colored stones as well.

Each of the stairways of any buildings that had them had gold colored railings and right where Haku and Naruto had entered, there was a medium sized spring going from the massive ocean that was in the distance going under the multiple bridges that resided in the building.

And all around, the villagers of the village were roaming around with miserable looks on their faces, a stark contrast to how they left the people of Wave were after Naruto saved their village.

From what Naruto and Haku saw as well, every villager had tan colored skin, ebony colored hair and bright crystal blue eyes and from what it looked like, they all had on the same clothes.

The males had on light tan cloth pants with two navy blue stripes at the bottom of the legs of the pants and while they were shirtless, the did wear a light tan cloth vest with blue stripes on both sides of the vest that went from shoulder to the bottom of their vest.

The females wore a strapless dress that were also light tan in color and also had two blue stripes near the end of their dress and on their necks was a necklace with multiple colored beads on it.

Naruto and Haku looked at each other but it was Haku who said "This seems…strange…It's like we stepped into another world or something."

"This entire experience is strange," Naruto responded softly but he couldn't help but frown at the defeated expressions of the villagers and said "Let's check it out Haku-chan."

Haku nodded with a frown on her face before the two started to walk into the streets of the village. At first, the people around them seemed fearful of their presence, almost shrinking away from their line of sight.

As they walked down the street, they could hear the faint crying of children coming from different homes, which was making Naruto fume inwardly.

If anything pissed Naruto off more was the sound of children and/or women crying. It didn't matter what the reason they were crying was but it angered him. It made him want to find the source of their sadness and brutally end it to make them happy.

But what Naruto noticed was that the sounds of crying were increasing in sound the closer they got near what they assumed was the middle of town. And once the turned a corner, they saw a large crowd gather with sobbing people.

"This explains the crying," Naruto growled out, clearly displeased by this turn of events before he turned to Haku and said "Let's see what is going on so we can end their tears."

With a nod from Haku, the two fought through the crowd to get to the front and once they did, Naruto saw a sight that had frozen him to his core.

There was tall shinobi that had fair-skin and narrowed, slanted orange eyes, three tufts of orange hair on his head: a mohawk of sorts that ran down the middle and two similar styled tufts of hair at the side with a scowl of pure disdain on his face.

His attire was a beige-coloured, sleeveless tunic with the symbol of the Sound Four on the hem and a pair of black, ¾ length pants that stopped just below his knees and he also wore black, arm-warmers, and a necklace that comprised of red circular pieces separating long, metallic pieces with black traditional shinobi sandals with mid-calf leg warmers covered by bandages, and a purple, rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around his waist.

And kneeling on the ground in front of this tank of a shinobi was a woman that was holding a small child within her arms but Naruto didn't see this large shinobi and the woman and child kneeling before him.

No, what he saw was his wife, Hitomi, trying to protect their son, Satoshi as Quan-Chi, posing as Sub Zero was approaching them with a sword in his hands…

And that was when his mind went blank.

* * *

 ** _Village of Hisako  
Momochi Haku_**

"P-Please Shinobi-san, she didn't know," Haku saw the woman beg, tears falling from the woman's eyes as the fairly large shinobi sneered down at her, his left hand holding a wrapped up chain whip.

"It doesn't matter. You all know the rules. Any one of you blue eyed bitches touch an Oto Shinobi, it is punishable by death!" The male barked in response, which caused Haku to scowl in hanger.

"I-I will take her place. Just please don't hurt her!" The woman exclaimed but without warning, the chain whip snapped and the woman's head whipped down, which made Haku and the crowd gasp in horror.

"Shut your fucking mouth," the shinobi shouted down at the woman looked up at him with blood dripping down the right side of her cheek in a steady stream.

"This is horrible. We need to do something now," Haku whispered as she turned to Naruto, but what she saw made her step back.

Instead of the blue eyes of her beloved, a fiery hellish red had taken their place and embers were floating around Naruto's form and his hands were already ignited in hellfire. "N-Naruto-kun…" Haku whispered out nervously.

She had seen Naruto like this when he was in combat a few times but he always looked calm but looking at him now, he looked enraged at the sight and add in his angry face and the flames that were now coming into existence around his body, he looked truly like someone that just came from hell itself.

Just then, Haku's attention was taken off of Naruto as the woman screamed in terror as the two shinobi behind the orange haired shinobi began to move forward as the large shinobi shouted "Grab the child and hold this whore down. No one disrespects the rules Oto has made for this piece of trash village."

But as she looked back at the woman, who was crawling backwards with the child in her grasp to try to get some distance away from the approaching shinobi…But just as they got close, the two were instantly cleaved in half by the Kubikiri Hōchō.

Haku blinked in surprise as she turned her head to where Naruto was but could only see the remains of hellfire on the ground, which was now fading away.

Haku watched as the bigger shinobi took a step back in surprise as Naruto stood before the woman, his entire body glowing with power of hellfire.

Haku was surprised at this.

She didn't even see him move from the spot next to her.

Haku watched as the loud shinobi barred his teeth and shouted "How dare you interfere in my affairs?! Don't you know who I am?! I'm Nanmon no Jirōbō _,_ the strongest member of the Shinobi Yonin Shū!"

Haku watched as Naruto stabbed her father's blade into the ground in front of the woman and child before he turned to Jirōbō and hissed **_"I will see you burn."_**

Jirōbō smirked at this and said "You thinking killing two of my men and having that scary aura is going to scare me? You're foolish to stick up for that blue eyed whore and her bitch child. And I'm going to make you regret it! Oto-Nins!"

Twelve shinobi suddenly surrounded Naruto, all of them wearing the same Hiate-Ite that Jirōbō was donning. "Now kill him!" Jirōbō shouted as he pointed at Naruto.

Naruto leapt up and kneed the head of the first shinobi, sending them both to the ground while Haku immediately dashed from the crowd and launched several senbon at the second shinobi, who instantly dropped to the ground.

Naruto kicked a shinobi in the chest and used the man's chest as a springboard to launch himself into the air and while in the air, Naruto instantly cocked his right hand back and shouted "Come here!" before lunging the hand forward, allowing the steam of flames to shoot from his hand and through the head of one of the shinobi.

Naruto landed on his feet and tugged the chain, ripping the head off of the shinobi before grabbing the spine of the removed head and swung the head into the head of the shinobi to his left before using a kunai to stab a third shinobi in the neck before he ripped it out and stabbed it right between the eyes of the fourth shinobi.

Meanwhile, Haku deflected several kunai that was thrown at her and quickly threw five senbon, with three of the five hitting one shinobi in the forehead while the remaining two hit the neck of the second.

Haku then dashed forwards to the three shinobi that was heading towards her and quickly ducked the right hook of the first shinobi and stabbed his neck with two senbon before she launched four more into the face of the second shinobi before she used leapt up and wrapped her legs around the shoulder of the third one and stabbed five kunai through the head of the final shinobi.

Naruto and Haku then turned their head to Jirōbō, who scowled and said "Well…It seems you two have some skill but that won't be enough to stop me, Nanmon no Jirō-"

Before Haku could blink, Naruto disappeared from beside her with an explosion of hellfire and seconds later, Naruto appeared before the large shinobi in a burst of hellfire with a with a kunai in his hand, kneeling before Jirōbō and without any hesitation, the kunai ripped through the stomach of Jirōbō, much to his silent horror.

She watched as Naruto twisted the kunai in his hand and sliced up the chest before slicing the neck of Jirōbō, sending blood splattering across Naruto's face. Haku saw the horrified look on Jirōbō's face as blood poured from the grievous wounds Naruto just inflected but then she saw it.

A flicker of purple chakra appeared underneath his tunic on his left shoulder but as she opened her mouth to tell Naruto this, Naruto's glowing hands grabbed Jirōbō's head and said **_"Now Burn, Nanmon no Jirōbō!"_**

Haku watched as hellfire began to burn brightly around Naruto's hands until the flame covered Jirōbō's head and with a loud roar, Naruto ripped off the head of the large shinobi before Naruto dropped the burning head to the ground, which then continued to burn until it was ashes on the ground.

Haku was stunned but the brutality that Naruto had shown but she wasn't surprised by it either. He had killed Gato rather suddenly as well after all and considering his sudden burst of wrath at what he saw, she should have known he wouldn't waste any time in striking the shinobi down.

Haku watched as the hellfire aura faded away from Naruto's form as he stood there silently, his eyes now returning to blue she had come to love and without any hesitation, Haku ran towards Naruto and stood in front of him and placed her hands on his cheeks.

Naruto looked at her for a moment before she placed a gentle kiss on his lips, telling him wordlessly that it was ok.

Naruto returned her kiss briefly before he suddenly heard the loud cheer coming from the crowd around the two of them, which made the two flinch in surprise.

Without warning, the entire crowd came pouring towards them with hopeful and happy expressions on their faces as they hoisted Naruto and Haku up into the air while chanting what sounded like "Thank you!" repeatedly.

But as Naruto and Haku was being cheered and crowd surfing, Naruto noticed something. In the corner of his eyes, he could see the shadow of someone watching them from the roof with glowing orange eyes before they turned away and disappeared.

 _'Who was that?'_ Naruto thought to himself with a frown on his face.

Naruto and Haku were then lead around by the group of people everywhere in the village. From the food markets to showering the two shinobi in countless gifts. It seemed as if they were celebrities in the village due to the many amount of people that came to thank them for defeating that villain.

Both Naruto and Haku were amazed at how kind these villagers were to them and the two shinobi felt gratitude for all that they were doing but as the group of people swarmed around them, leading them to the village's local Inn, Naruto heard Haku whisper "This is amazing Naruto-kun."

"I certainly agree," Naruto replied softly, his eyes taken note of the hopeful, almost desperate expressions on the faces of the adults that led them on.

After being led to the Inn, both Naruto and Haku gave their thanks to the large group of people before entering the building, who all bowed once more before the two entered the Inn.

 ** _Village of Hisako  
Hisako Inn_**

Once the two entered the hotel, the two walked to the front desk of the Inn to see a tan colored girl with an orange clip in her short, spiky mint green hair, short sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath, long white armlets, and fishnet shorts with a short white apron skirt over it and the girl was currently sleeping soundly with her arm propping her face up as she slept.

Naruto and Haku exchanged a glance before Haku tapped the small silver bell. The girl jarred awake, her orange eyes darting around in alarm before they settled on the bemused Naruto and Haku. "O-Oh! I'm so sorry," she apologized.

"It's quite alright," Haku said with a small smile on her face.

The girl sighed in relief and said "My boss would kill me if he found out I was sleeping on the job again…Uh, anyways! Welcome to Hisako Inn! My name is Fū, how can I help you?"

 _'What a strange girl,'_ Naruto thought before he chuckled and said "Hello, My name is…Uzumaki Naruto and this is Momochi Haku and we need a room for the night."

Fū nodded and leaned down behind the desk before she leaned up and handed them a key and said "Last door on the right side of the hallway down the hall over there."

Haku grabbed the key from Fū's hand and noticed the Hiate-ite that was tied to the girl's upper arm and gave it a brief nod while she said "Thank you Fū-san…I uh, noticed by your clothes that you aren't from around here."

Fū nodded and said "That's right. I'm originally from Takigakure no Sato. My old village didn't like me all too much so my adopted family managed to get me out of there when things got dicey so I've been traveling ever since. Well, until I found this place. Everyone is so kind here, I'm honestly not used to it and while things have gotten pretty bad, everyone is still kind…Which is what we need nowadays…"

Fū then looked at Haku's scratched Hiate-Ite and said "You're a nuke-nin I see…from Kiri…" Fū then whistled at this implication and said "That must have been quite an adventure escaping from their Hunter-nin, considering the rumors of the bloody mist."

Fū then looked to Naruto and noticed the kanji etched in his Hiate-Ite and said "Champion of Wave…That's a new one."

"Well, it's a special one," Naruto responded with a small smile on his face.

"Well, you must have done something great to have gotten it," Fū noted before she gave out a small laugh and said "Well, enough gabbing out of me, you guys must be exhausted. If you need anything, I'll be here."

"Much appreciated," Naruto and Haku said in unison with a smile on their face before the two of them made their way to the room but as the two walked down the hall, Naruto stopped mid-step when he heard the faint song near his ear.

 _"Kie nai Hisako, kie nai urami (Indelible Hisako, indelible grudge)  
gyakusatsu, gyakusatsu no higeki (Slaughter, massacre of tragedy)  
kie nai Hisako, shugo sha (Indelible Hisako, our guardian)"_

Naruto turned his head and noticed Fū's head leaning forward before slumping to the desk, falling back asleep and quickly realized that she wasn't the one that was singing…

 _'How bizarre…'_ Naruto thought with a frown on his face, his eyes narrowed in thought.

Where was it coming from?

"Haku-chan, did you hear that?" Naruto asked her as he turned to her. Haku tilted her head to listen for a moment before she shook her head, which made Naruto frown in annoyance and said "How bizarre…"

"Why, what is wrong?" Haku asked him softly.

"It's nothing," Naruto replied with an unsure tone before he shook his head and unlocked the door to their room and held the door open for Haku before he turned around and shut the door behind him.

As he shut the door, Naruto heard Haku shout from the bathroom "I'm going to take a quick bath Naruto-kun!"

"Understood," Naruto stated as he removed his shirt, to reveal an orange tank top underneath it and as he removed his old orange jacket from his hood but as he did, he saw a folded up pink paper on the window.

Which wasn't there before.

Naruto walked towards the window and opened it and found that the paper was attached on the window by a kunai.

Naruto pulled the kunai out of the wood frame of the window and looked down at it before he looked at the note and asked himself out loud "What in the world is this?" Naruto unfolded the piece of paper and narrowed his eyes as he read it.

 _"Dear Shinobi-san,_

 _I saw how you defended that poor woman against that brute of a shinobi and I thank you so much for killing him. Nanmon no Jirōbō was a cruel person to the villagers and I'm forever in your debt._

 _But sadly, he is not the only one of his kind here…_

 _This village is in dire need of help of shinobi and after what you have done, we feel that you two will be able to help me save this village from these invaders._

 _There a many shinobi from Otogakure no Sato that have invaded this village and have taken their mayor and his family hostage for whatever their sick plans are and I fear that they will kill each and everyone one in the village once they get whatever they desire._

 _I cannot let that happen._

 _Help me save these people and I will assist you in all that I can._

 _Sincerely,  
Kage no Chōmei."_

By the time Naruto finished reading the note, Haku came out of the bathroom with a white towel around her body, modestly covering up her nakedness but she could immediately see the angered look on Naruto's face.

"Naruto-kun?" Haku questioned, concerned at why he was angry.

Naruto turned his head to look at her, subtly enjoying the sight of the nearly naked kunoichi before he handed her the note he had found stashed away in his old jacket.

Haku took the paper and read it over while Naruto walked to the window and crossed his arms and said "No wonder they were so nice to us after I killed Jirōbō…Apparently, they are under siege by this Oto…."

Once Haku finished the note, Haku merely chuckled and said "It sounds like we have another village to save."

Naruto narrowed his eyes in thought and replied "Yeah…But we'll need to do more investigating before we just fight everyone in our path…We are likely to meet our ends if we do that."

Haku walked behind Naruto and slipped her arms around his waist and placed her lips against his neck and said "Then we shall…But for now, let's get some rest, ok?"

Naruto turned to Haku and gave her a smile and said "Yes…Let's get some shut eye."

* * *

Rain: And that is the end of this chapter. So I hope you guys enjoyed the surprise debut of Fū. This chapter was a bit of a pain but I got through it. The next chapter in the "Sound of Violence" arc will keep its focus on Naruto. So until then…

Mario: See you next time!


	12. Chapter 12

Rain: And I am back with a brand new chapter. I had to think a lot about how this chapter will go down but I think I got a good handle on it so sit back, relax and enjoy!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn  
Chapter Twelve: Nightmare of a Vengeful Apparition! The Mystery of Hisako_**

 ** _Field of Flowers  
Uzumaki Naruto_**

Naruto didn't know where he was.

The last thing he remembered when he closed his eyes was Haku's beautiful face and now he was standing in a field of flowers.

The petals from the flowers floated in the gentle breeze around him, which caused him to close his eyes to enjoy the sweet smell of the flowers that was carried in the gentle breeze that overcame him until he opened his eyes and saw a teenage girl standing a few feet away, her back turned to him.

Her long black hair flowed against the breeze, revealing her pale skin and her tattered rose pink kimono with white flower decals and a red obi sash around her waist flowed against the breeze as well.

Naruto noticed that the bottom of the kimono was torn off at the knees and the top of the kimono hung loose around her shoulders and he also noticed that feet were bare and caked with mud and dirt, and on her left hand she was wearing some sort of golden trinket.

 **"Spectre…Come…"** The female said, her voice gentle, but with a tone of sadness within it.

Naruto felt himself walking towards the female until he stood to her left and that's when he saw it. IT was the village of Hisako but all the villagers looked so happy, compared to how they looked before.

 **"This was once my home,"** the girl started to say. **"It was my world...I lived in peace here…But then they came. They plundered and murdered... my family... all cut down...I fought them…Tore them asunder but I died in the end…"**

Despite being next to her, Naruto was unable to see her face at all but he could hear the pain in her voice. **"I have protected this village from those that wish to harm it and its inhabitants for centuries…But now more have come…and they have stolen from the grave of my family..."**

"But why?" Naruto asked her. The female lowed her head and through her bangs, Naruto could see flickers of green energy within her deep and sunken eyes.

Suddenly, the field of flowers suddenly became a field of flames and Naruto soon found himself standing across from the female, but now her skin was a sickly grey and she was hunched over, a faint aura of darkness around her that resembles ashes and embers, similar to his own and her body was slightly jittering, as if she was struggling to remain in and out of this plane.

 **"They are destroying my home…They are killing these people I have fought to protect and have taken my most precious possession! Find my possession Hasashi Hanzo! Find it and bring to my shine so I can kill them all…"** the apparition said, her body jittering rapidly before she took a step and suddenly, she was before Naruto, which caused him to instantly step back in alarm.

 **"BRING ME MY POSSENSION TO SAVE THEM, UZUMAKI NARUTO!"** She shouted, her mouth opening wide, revealing the rows of her sharp teeth.

* * *

 ** _Real World  
Uzumaki Naruto_**

With a gasp, Naruto woke up, his body soaked with sweat, his breaths coming out in quick pants. Naruto looked around and saw that Haku was sound asleep, seemingly unaware of the intense nightmare that he had just taken place.

 _'That dream….Who was that Apparition?'_ Naruto asked himself before he shook his head and wiped the sweat off of his face but as he laid back down with Haku, he heard it.

 _"Kie nai **Hisako** , kie nai urami (Indelible Hisako, indelible grudge)  
Gyakusatsu, gyakusatsu no higeki (Slaughter, massacre of tragedy)  
Kie nai **Hisako** , shugo sha (Indelible Hisako, our guardian)"_

Naruto's eyes widened as he listened to the faint song that was playing in his ear.

" _Ryuuketsu, ryuuketsu no gekido (Bloody, bloody rage)  
Sakebu, sakebu, shugo sha (Weep, weep, our guardian)  
Ryuuketsu, ryuuketsu no gekido (Bloody, bloody rage)  
Kie nai **Hisako** , kie nai urami (Indelible Hisako, indelible grudge)_

It was singing about Hisako…But it wasn't about the village…

 ** _"I have protected this village from those that wish to harm it and its inhabitants for centuries…"_** The female voice echoed in his mind as Naruto sat there in the bed, the gears turning in his head. That had to be the case.

Whatever was happening with this village, it was causing unrest with that apparition.

But what?

Naruto let out a sigh.

He just had so many questions about what was going on in this village. From the Oto shinobi he had killed to that intense nightmare in the form of that female that had met within it that saw him as both Hasashi Hanzo and Uzumaki Naruto.

Perhaps that girl the he and Haku and met earlier would be able to tell him something about this village so he knew where to start at least.

Naruto turned to Haku and placed a small kiss on her forehead before he slid out from beneath her and silently slipped on his shinobi sandals and walked out of the room.

Naruto walked down the hall of the Inn and noticed that Fū was still at her desk but instead of dozing off like she had before when he first saw her, she was focused on a few pieces of paper in front of her.

What was she doing?

Despite all of his changes, Naruto couldn't fight the curiosity that was burning in him and with a small chuckle, he walked to the desk and said "Fū-san, got a minute?"

Fū blinked rapidly before she smiled at Naruto and replied "Ah, I wasn't expecting you to need me so soon, Naruto-san. How can I help you? Need Ice? Room service…Flowers for the pretty lady? I shouldn't assume that you need all of that stuff. You know what they say about assuming…Makes an ass outta you and me."

Naruto noticed Fū putting the papers into her desk quickly as she talked before she laughed a bit and said "There I go being a chatterbox again…Sorry about that."

Naruto chuckled and shook his head at the girl.

"It's no problem at all," Naruto responded with a dismissive wave of his hand before he added "But tell me something, these Oto shinobi that's in this village…Do you know anything of them?"

Fū shook her head and replied "Not at all unfortunately…They just appeared out of nowhere and went straight to the mayor's place. Next thing we know, we're captive under them."

"So they just appeared out of nowhere?" Naruto asked with a confused look on his face.

Fū nodded and leaned in her chair and said "Yeah. It was sudden and none of us saw it coming but I've investigating them. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I had to kill a few earlier that was abusing some of the villagers and decided that I would help them clear these trash out…But I need to know more about them," Naruto responded softly, not wanting to tell her about the note but then he followed up with "So you know nothing about them?"

Fū nodded, a serious look on her face. "I know of them due to my travels around the shinobi world. I know that they are a cruel and evil bunch that has either wiped out small villages or forced them to swear allegiance to them."

Naruto couldn't help but let a scowl form on his face after Fū's words. "I knew someone like that. He would twist your soul around until you bowed to him…I hate people that try to force things on others…"

"As do I…" Fū said softly, her eyes telling a story that Naruto could not decipher just yet.

"I see…Then we have something in common," Naruto said with a smile on his face, which Fū returned with her own smile.

"I guess we do," She responded before she said "You should be resting. It's like…Three in the morning."

"You should be as well," Naruto noted with a chuckle as he leaned forward on the desk and added "Besides, I can't really sleep."

"Nightmares?" Fū asked him, which Naruto nodded in response.

"Something like that," Naruto responded before he remembered why he came here in the first place. "Tell me something," Naruto started. "How did this village get its name?"

Fū looked at him for a moment and leaned back in her chair and said with a dejected tone "Aww crap…I can't remember that at all…"

Naruto leaned away and crossed his arms as he said "I see…"

Fū's eyebrows narrowed in thought for a moment before a look of realization appeared on her face. "Wait! I'll be right back!" Fū suddenly shouted before she got out of her chair and quickly darted to the door behind her where she quickly opened it and went inside.

After a few minutes of waiting, Naruto watched as Fū came out with a book and placed it on the desk and said "When I first came here, before those damn Oto shinobi, the owner of this hotel gave it to me to learn."

"How come?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Well, I have to learn the history about this village as a part of my test to become a permanent residence here," Fū explained with a smile on her face.

"You want to become a permanent residence of this village?" Naruto asked, a little surprised by this fact.

Fū nodded and said "I've been to a lot of places and this place has been the only village that has ever welcomed me so warmly. They don't care that I look different to them or about a few other things about me…It feels like home. Why wouldn't I want to stay?"

Naruto nodded in understanding.

He had felt the same way about Wave when he was there…It was more of a home to him that Konoha ever was.

Konoha…

This was the first time the name of his village had popped into his head since his time in Wave. He promised Kakashi that he would return to Konoha but It felt like such a lifetime ago that Naruto had been there and yet…

He found himself missing Wave far more than he missed Konoha and when he thought of home, he thought of Wave more than Konoha.

Did he truly want to return?

Naruto was taken out of his thoughts when Fū said "Well, let's crack this bad boy open so we could learn some stuff."

Naruto nodded and walked over to Fū's side as she opened the book and flipped it a few pages before she said "Aha! Here it is…The History of Hisako Village….This village is apparently centuries old and was founded by Saika Kagome, who found it and rehabilitated it to be livable.

During her rehabilitation however, Saika Kagome found the destroyed shrine with words "Hisako" along with a scroll that was hanging from a naginata on it that told the tale of Hisako the Guardian…"

"Hisako the Guardian…" Naruto repeated while he crossed his arms with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, it has the tale that was in the scroll in here," Fū explained as she narrowed her eyes at the book.

"Read it…All of it," Naruto commanded with an urgent tone in his voice.

Fū looked at Naruto for a moment before she looked down at the book and began to read.

"Decades ago, there was female teenager girl…She was the eldest daughter of a rōnin—a samurai without a leader. For her father's shōgun had been assassinated by a rival, and The Girl's father had returned to the village of his birth to start a family and become a farmer.

Being descended from a famous onna-bugeisha (a female samurai), The Girl's father felt that it was his duty to train his eldest daughter in the arts of war.

The times were dangerous with many warring clans, renegade shōguns, and bandits on the roads; and every member of the village needed to be capable of bearing arms in case of invasion. Around his neck he always wore a strip of red cloth torn from his late shōgun's battle banner in remembrance of him.

The Girl became adept with sword and bow, but her weapon of choice was the naginata—a long pole with a blade on one end. It was the same weapon that her ancestor had used, and it was good for keeping the enemy at bay as well as unseating horsemen. Her father told her that she would inherit the naginata upon his death but he gave her a Ninja's weapon called the neko-te—the cat's claw."

"Neko-te…" Naruto repeated to himself.

Fū nodded and said "It's a gold blade that fits over a finger and could be laced with poison. Apparently, The Girl was to use this if any man ever tried to abduct her."

Naruto's mind flashed back to the female from his nightmare and he remembered seeing a golden trinket on her hand…Was this the Neko-te?

"When The Girl wasn't training she worked diligently in the fields side by side with the men and women of the village. But every action she performed was done with the intention of practicing her military planting of a rice shoot was the same as the downward motion of a katana sword thrust. The pulling of a weed mimicked a defensive naginata maneuver.

One day a traveling theatrical group came to the village and performed a puppet show called The Story of The Ghost Wife—the tale of a woman who died and then came back from the dead only to murder her husband's new bride by ripping off her head. The Ghost Wife's puppet scared The Girl with its pale skin and long wild black hair. For years afterward she had nightmares about it."

 _'Ironic…'_ Naruto thought to himself, but tuned in when Fū continued on.

"When she was about to turn nineteen a young aristocrat passed by the village on horseback. He saw The Girl fetching water from the river and instantly wanted her, teasing her about her mud-caked feet.

He tossed a beaded prayer bracelet on the ground and mockingly asked her to marry him, but The Girl laughed in his face. She wanted to be a samurai, not somebody's housekeeper. Especially not for a prissy-looking oaf like him.

The wealthy young man—the son of a vicious renegade shōgun—became angry and drew his sword, and so The Girl knocked him off his horse with her bucket, and beat him soundly. The humiliated man jumped on his mount and rode away from the village in shame; and The Girl continued her training with renewed vigor. She wore the prayer bead bracelet to remind herself to never marry a fool.

The Girl often practiced in a bamboo forest near the village, cutting down the thick stalks with her katana.

A week after her nineteenth birthday, when all of the fruit tree blossoms had fallen and covered the ground like a white carpet, she was training in this spot when she caught her kimono on a sharp piece of bamboo.

She ripped off the entire bottom part of the kimono so that she wouldn't trip on it, and continued until twilight when she became aware that the air was thick with smoke. She sprinted out of the forest and across the fields toward the village. It was on fire! And there were armed horsemen everywhere.

She reached into the folds of her robe and slipped on her poisoned cat's claw and once she got closer, that the invaders had slain many of the villagers.

The Girl ran toward her house, turned a corner and came face to face with a sight that made her knees buckle: her mother, grandmother and two younger siblings lay dead, piled on top of each other like butchered animals, their clothes slashed and their blood staining the stones of the street. And there was her father's corpse nearby.

His head had been cut off, and the red strip of battle banner that he had always worn around his neck lay at her feet. She picked it up with a trembling hand.

The Girl's heart broke in that instant…and then it turned to a burning coal inside her breast…Hey you ok?"

Naruto's eyes had narrowed in anger and his eyes were flashing from blue to fiery red-orange but he managed to calm himself when he saw Fū's own eyes looking at him in concern and replied "Yeah…this is just hitting too close to home…that's all."

Fū looked at Naruto and said "I can stop if you w-"

"Don't," Naruto interrupted. "Keep going…"

Fū nodded and looked down at the book and continued with "She grabbed her father's naginata, pulling it from his dead hands, then charged the horsemen, screaming at them, calling them cowards, and ripping them apart like a force of nature.

Positioning herself between the warriors and some buildings where many of the village children were being held, she fought with inhuman endurance, slaying a dozen of the attackers before succumbing to her own wounds and collapsing on the ground.

The last thing that she saw in this world was a young man's face grinning at her—the man whom she had spurned by the river. With her dying effort she swiped her cat's claw across his cheek…and then she died with his screams of anguish echoing in her ears.

But The Girl had not passed in vain.

Her act of bravery against overwhelming odds rallied the surviving villagers to fight back, and they drove the soldiers out of the village, shooting many of them dead with arrows as they fled.

Once the fight was over, the remaining survivors of the village cremated The Girl with her family, carefully removing the bones from the ashes with chopsticks and placed them in clay urns and buried them deep away to keep them protected from outside parties and while many of them didn't know her name, they called her "Hisako" meaning "Everlasting Child" due to her dying when she was nineteen years old.

Once they were done, they built a shrine for her, to which they regularly made small offerings, burning incense and offering prayers to the brave spirit of the young woman who had saved them from being wiped out."

Fū took a breath and read out "Saika Kagome was touched by this tale of Hisako and rehabilitated the shrine as well and left that area of town alone in honor the fallen guardian of this currently unnamed village.

A few days later, this village was attacked by some Samurai and many of those that fought swore that they saw a teenage girl with always appeared in the shape of a teenage girl with muddy feet and a torn kimono wielding a naginata with a red ribbon fighting against the invaders.

This rallied the villagers to fight and eventually, they managed to drive off the invaders. Saika Kagome, realizing that the tale was true, then renamed the village "Hisako" in her honor, to thank her for her sacrifice and for protecting our home…And since this time, whenever this village was in danger, the spirit of Hisako the Guardian would appear to protect us all.

Hisako will always and forever be welcome as our guardian…

Saika Kari"

When Fū finished, she closed the book and said "This was last updated twelve years ago by Saika Kari, the daughter of Saika Kagome…Shit…That was heavy to read…" Naruto agreed with a nod and leaned on the desk once again and remained silent.

 _'Hisako…You and I are more alike that I have thought…But while you protect these people…I became a monster in return,'_ Naruto thought with a sullen tone before he shook his head and said "So it was named after this tale…Which seems to be true…"

"But if this tale was true…Hisako would have been here to stop Oto…If it is true, I wonder why she hasn't appeared," Fū said curiously.

Naruto was unsure for a moment as well until he remembered her words.

 ** _"Find my possession Hasashi Hanzo! Find it and bring to my shine so I can kill them all…"_**

Could it be that her possession that was missing was the cause of her not showing up? And if that was the case, she wanted him to find it but where could he even begin?

Wait…

"Fū…Where is this shrine they speak of?" Naruto asked her with a quirked brow.

Fū narrowed her eyes in thought for a moment before she said "I don't know…But maybe the elder of the village knows. Perhaps he could help you when he awakens."

"Can you tell me where he is located?" Naruto asked her.

Fū smiled and said "His home is located a few houses away from here. When daybreaks, I can sneak out and lead you to him."

Naruto smiled.

* * *

 ** _Village of Hisako  
Mayor's mansion_**

"Man…Jirōbō is taking a long ass time with the food."

Tayuya let out an aggravated sigh as she laid on the nice clean white couch beneath her. "I knew we shouldn't have sent that fat-ass anywhere. He's probably out chasing some tail on some shit like that."

Kidōmaru rolled his eyes at Tayuya and said "Shut up over there. You bitching about him won't bring him back faster."

"You're the one whining about him not bringing the food!" Tayuya shouted as she rose up from her prone position, anger in her eyes.

"Enough," Kimimaro said with authority in his voice, causing both Kidōmaru and Tayuya to quiet down. "We should be more concerned about the mission that Orochimaru-sama sent us on than food."

Tayuya scowled at the white haired Kayuga and spat on the floor then responded with "Just because you can survive with Orochimaru-sama'scock in your mouth doesn't mean we should join you for the messy deepthroat buffet."

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes while Kidōmaru, Ukon and Sakon snorted in amusement. "We need real food and the fatso hasn't come back yet and the mayor and his bitch ass can't feed us while he's dead. And we maxed out all the food in that fat-asses fridge already. And again, we need food to be able to have energy to complete the mission in the first fucking place."

"The food will come," Kimimaro responded.

"Your food source maybe," Tayuya muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Kimimaro turned around and said "I do not know why Orochimaru-sama is looking at you for the next candidate for the cursed seal but he obviously has chosen a poor candidate for it."

Tayuya rose up from the couch and walked up to Kimimaro and said "Listen here cum-dumpster, how dare yo-"

Just then, an Oto shinobi came bursting into the living room of the mansion where the Otogakure no Shinobi Gonin Shū stayed and said "Kimimaro-sama, there is an emergency in the village. Jirōbō-sama was killed."

The Four shinobi in the room looked at the Oto shinobi in shock.

"Say that again? Jirōbō was killed?" Ukon asked the Oto nin, who nodded.

Tayuya began to laugh hard at this, causing the other shinobi to look at her. "Oh wow! The fat-ass bit the dust? That is fucking hilarious. So who beat him? Some lady accidentally tossing a donut to him and him choking on it?"

"Tayuya, enough," Kidōmaru responded. "How did it happen?"

"Well…Jirōbō-sama was being cruel to a woman whose child had bumped into him," The shinobi began, which caused Tayuya to scoff immediately but she remained silent as the shinobi continued.

"Jirōbō-sama told the shinobi he was with to take the child when this boy with bright blond hair and furious looking orange-red eyes came and cleaved them in half with the Kubikiri Hōchō!"

That got Kimimaro's attention immediately.

Everyone knew that the Kubikiri Hōchō belonged to Momochi Zabuza so whoever this kid was to be wielding that blade was not to be messed with.

"This kid and some girl that was with him slaughtered the shinobi and before Jirōbō-sama could do anything, the kid stabbed through his stomach then sliced up his chest and finally took off his head and burned it in fire…All with a kunai…"

The room was quiet as the Otogakure no Shinobi Gonin Shū absorbed what had happened to one of their own but Kimimaro was the first one to snap out of this and said "We need to kill this person immediately. Who knows if he will interfere in Orochimaru-sama's goals…Kidōmaru, Tayuya…"

The two of the called looked at Kimimaro, who then continued with "I want you both to take ten shinobi from the shine to hunt these people down and kill them. Sakon, Ukon and I will go to the shrine to retrieve that naginata that Orochimaru-sama sent us here for."

"Gotcha," Kidōmaru responded but Tayuya remained silent but she had a nervous expression on her face.

* * *

Rain: So that is where I will end it. What will happen next? Only one way to find out!

Mario: See you next time!


	13. Chapter 13

Rain: Hey guys. I know, its been a long time since I have been here but I have been busy with my declining health but now that I am at full health, I can continue! So sit back, relax and enjoy!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 ** _Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn  
Chapter Thirteen: The Investigation Continues! Returning to Wave!  
_**

 ** _Village of Hisako  
Hisako Hotel  
Uzumaki Naruto_**

 ** _"_** ** _BRING ME MY POSSENSION TO SAVE THEM, UZUMAKI NARUTO!"_**

Naruto opened his eyes at the voice of Hisako echoing in his mind and felt himself frown a bit. After his talk with Fū, Naruto had went to sleep with a plan to save this village.

But once again throughout his time sleeping, Hisako had returned into his mind and repeated what she had told him before and now he was wide awake. Lucky enough, it was now sunrise and he actually felt fully rested.

Naruto looked down and stared down at Haku's sleeping form and felt a gentle smile tug at his lips. She looked so peaceful…So pure…It reminded him of a gentle snowfall in his village during his time as Hasashi Hanzo…

Naruto caressed Haku's cheek and whispered "How can someone as pure as you be with someone as damned as I?"

Naruto let a soft sigh escape his lips and withdrew his hand before he slipped out of the bed and got onto his feet and stretched out his limbs before he made his way to the bathroom to freshen up for this new day of investigation.

After stripping away his clothes, Naruto turned on the shower and stepped inside of it and let the soothing hot water cascade down his body and began to get lost in his thoughts.

So far, his search to find himself really was strangely going well. While he was still prone to extreme violence, it seems more that it was triggered when there was injustice being done before him instead of all the time.

Was that part of being a good guy?

Naruto chuckled and shut his eyes.

Him a good guy?

It seemed so laughable and yet, all he had done was commit good deeds with his violent hellfire but was it enough? Was it enough to balance out all of the dark, cruel things he had done during his time under the leash of Quan Chi?

"No…" Naruto said softly. "Nothing could make up for the atrocities I have done as his pawn…" but then his mind went back to Haku, as well as Kotoha and the others in Wave and he felt a smile form on his face.

He may feel that nothing could make up for what he had done as Scorpion…But at least he made a damn good start. A few minutes later, Naruto walked out of the bathroom and quickly got dressed before he glanced at Haku's sleeping form.

He and Fū was supposed to meet with Elder of the village to find out where to find Hisako's grave to continue the investigation and as much as he wanted to wake up Haku and get her ready, he didn't want to waste any time so after he kissed the sleeping kunoichi's cheek, Naruto left the room after sparing one last look to her and shut the door softly.

Naruto walked down the hallway and met with Fū, who was slipping on her orange bag and said "Good morning Fū-san."

Fū gave him a bright smile and replied "Good morning Naruto-san. Are you ready to go?" Naruto nodded and together, the two quickly walked out of the hotel building.

* * *

 ** _Village of Wave  
Uzumaki Naruto Hunting Squad  
Haruno Sakura_**

"W-What the hell?! The Great Uzumaki Festival?!"

Sakura couldn't help but grin as Ino and the rest of her team stared at the village in shock. It may have been a few days since she had been here but the village had taken such a different turn.

Before, Wave was barely standing and everyone seemed so depressed…So defeated. But now, everything looked brighter and all of the villagers seemed happier but there was another difference.

Hanging from the walls of many buildings orange streamers with tons of orange and navy blue confetti fell all around them and all around the village, there was villagers laughing, dancing and singing, all of them wearing an orange and blue headband around their foreheads.

"What kind of bizarre world did we just step into?" Ino asked with a confused tone in her voice. Sakura didn't answer her due to noticing was many pictures of her teammate.

Some of them had her, Sasuke and Kakashi in them while others had Naruto and Haku in them but many of them had Naruto with various people.

The strange part was that there were pictures of him before the bridge incident. She had somehow gotten used to seeing the new Naruto that she was jarred at seeing his old look.

 ** _"_** ** _Back when our hotness was super cute,"_** Inner Sakura claimed but she didn't yell. She sounded wistful at the sight of the chubby cheeked Uzumaki feeding a small red haired child with Haku.

"The Great Naruto Bridge?! What the fuck!" Kiba shouted in alarm only for Sakura to grin when Kurenai's hand smacked the back of his head, which made the Inuzuka shriek in surprise.

Beside her, she saw Hinata gazing up at the picture of Naruto standing before Zabuza as rain fell from above and she could see the huge blush on Hinata's face.

Sakura couldn't help but admire the look of fierceness on Naruto's face as he stared down Zabuza but as Hinata frowned at the sight of Haku, Sakura did as well.

 ** _"_** ** _We really screwed the pooch not going after him…Didn't we?"_** Inner Sakura asked softly, which made Sakura shake her head.

"No…We didn't screw up…" Sakura said vocally to herself before she walked up to Hinata and said "I know, its hard to tell that he's changed so much."

Hinata shook her head and replied "No…I can tell its him…Even though his face changed, his eyes remain the same…Although…Something else about how he looks…It seems familiar to me."

Sakura watched as Hinata placed her hand on the image of Naruto and as she traced his jawline, she said "I see Naruto-kun…But at the same time, I see someone else…"

"What do you see?" Sakura asked in confusion.

Sakura saw how focused Hinata looked as she said "A lost soul molded by Hellfire itself…" Sakura saw Hinata wince in pain as she clenched her eyes shut and held her hands to the sides of her head.

"Hinata-san! Are you ok?" Sakura asked as she placed her hand on Hinata's left forearm.

Hinata remained silent for a moment before she said "I'm ok…I just didn't get a lot of rest."

"Ok…But what did you mean about Naruto-kun?" Sakura asked curiously but Hinata shook her head and removed her hand from Naruto's image.

"It is…nothing," Hinata replied before she said "Just ramblings Sakura-san. I'll be alright."

But Sakura could hear the distant tone in Hinata's voice but she didn't question it. A few seconds later, Shikamaru came from behind the two and said "Man Sakura-san. It's like they made him a deity. I believed you before but I really believe you now."

"Yeah, it's really strange. Did the villagers forget that we were here too?" Sakura asked with a humored tone in her voice.

She didn't care so much for the glory and while she felt that the village was getting a little out of hand with the love for Naruto, she felt that Naruto deserved the love and respect the village gave him.

Something Konoha didn't.

"I agree as well," Shino said, which caused Sakura to jump due to him randomly appearing beside her. "This place seems to idolize him like we do our Kages. It is fascinating to see."

Hinata nodded and said "It truly is. Our village despises Naruto-kun to the point of wanting him dead but it's truly the opposite here. I mean…Look at all the pictures of him. I even see that they are starting to build a statue of him."

Sakura blinked in surprise.

"I'm sorry, what?" Sakura asked in confusion.

Hinata pointed to the middle of the village where Neji, Tenten and Lee were standing in where they stood, there was a sign that said "The Hero of Wave, Uzumaki Naruto" and while there was no statue yet, there was a large stone pillar in the spot where the statue would be.

The four genin walked to Team Gai and as they walked up, Sakura heard Neji tell Lee and Tenten "How can this be? Naruto was the failure in the class when we were his classmates…How can this be possible? None of this should be possible…"

"His flames of youth were burning out of control," Lee responded with a wide grin on his face. "Truly we should all be like Naruto-kun!"

Tenten chuckled at the excitable Lee and said "Still, its odd to think that Naruto made such a huge impact here. It seems what Hinata-san told us was true after all."

Neji remained staring at the spot and softly repeated "How can this be?" It was as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing but Sakura frowned at him.

"What makes this hard to believe to you, Neji-san?" Sakura asked curiously as she looked at him in thought.

"He was a failure…Destiny had deemed him a failure…And yet…" Neji blinked and rubbed his face before he turned around and stomped away angrily, leaving the rest of genin to watch him leave.

"What in the world was that all about?" Shikamaru asked as he placed his hands behind his head.

* * *

 ** _Village of Wave  
Uzumaki Naruto Hunting Squad  
Hatake Kakashi_**

"Holy fuck…" Kakashi breathed out in awe.

This place had gone full Naruto-Mania and they were only gone for a few days. Kakashi then chuckled and thought to himself _'This place is what Konoha should be for him. Celebrating his achievements instead of trying to hold him down.'_

Kakashi turned to Anko and saw that she was now wearing an orange jacket, which was similar to Naruto's jacket, as well as holding a small doll made in Naruto's image and some orange colored cotton candy and she had a large grin on her face.

"I got to say, this village may be super strange in throwing their love into a genin but fuck, I gotta say that it looks awesome," Anko said to Kakashi, clearly pleased.

Amused, Kakashi stated "I see you are enjoying yourself," while he crossed his arms.

Anko bobbed her head and said "You kidding me? When you told me all that happened, even I had my grain of salt but seeing all of this and seeing how happy these folks are, I can see why he opted to stay."

Asuma, who decided to butt into the conversation, said "Kakashi, there has to be something we're missing. Truly that story you fed us cannot be true."

"And why couldn't it?" Anko asked with a frown on her face. "Look at this village. Look at everyone laughing and singing. Look at all the celebration. Look at the streamers and colors and all of the pictures of the gaki. Gee, don't you think it looks legit?"

Asuma rolled his eyes and said "They act as if he is the Hokage here. And he is nothing but a mere genin. Hell, we've all saved villages and yet we never got this type of ovation. Doesn't this all seem bizarre to any of you?"

Kakashi opened his mouth to speak when a rather familiar voice said from behind him "If I hadn't fought him myself, I would have agreed with you, Sarutobi Asuma."

The three quickly turned around to see a stern looking Momochi Zabuza standing with his arms crossed along with Tsunami beside him with a welcoming smile on her face.

Zabuza was currently wearing a grey tank top and black shinobi pants but his arms, neck and half of his face was hidden by medical wrap but what was most telling was that Zabuza wasn't wearing his hiate-ite like he had been during their bout.

Kakashi then looked towards Tsunami and wondered why she was standing beside the fearsome shinobi, looking very comfortable with his presence?

"Zabuza-san, what are you still doing here?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly, both of his hands in his pocket.

"Heh, this woman here refuses to let me leave until my injuries heal," Zabuza stated while motioning his head to Tsunami, who turned to him and gave a soft laugh.

"That's right. You shouldn't even be out of bed Momochi-kun but you had to come out here due to sensing Kakashi-san's chakra." Tsunami admonished while she crossed her own arms.

 _'_ _Momochi-kun?'_ Kakashi thought to himself, filing this away for later before he said "Well, you came out here to see little old me? I'm touched."

Zabuza snorted and replied "Well, I was hoping for a rematch with you. Our battle was interrupted before we could see our battle through to the end."

Kakashi ignored the looks of astonishment from Anko and Asuma and replied with a carefree tone "Of course. As soon as you heal up, I'll accept that challenge. But in the meantime, you said you fought with Naruto?"

Zabuza chuckled lowly and nodded "I did. Was a pretty good battle between an injured man and a fully strong genin brat. The Great Uzumaki festival is in full swing and the woman wants to enjoy it. When its done, bring your group to Tazuna's and I'll tell you what happened."

"The Great Uzumaki Festival?" Asuma said with an exasperated tone in his voice where he then asked "They even have a festival named after him?"

Tsunami nodded and said "It's a festival celebrating the Hero of Wave and the namesake of our bridge, Uzumaki Naruto. It's due to him bringing light back into this village with not only fighting and temporarily dying for it, but among other great things."

"Ah, no wonder the orange and blue is everywhere," Anko noted before she grinned and said "Man, I can't wait to hear the story of the gaki fighting you, Zabuza-san."

"Neither can I," Asuma muttered in annoyance before he added "And speaking of Uzumaki, where is he? We are on a mission to bring him back to Konoha."

Zabuza grinned at this and said "You'll have to find out after the festival, Sarutobi. Until then!" Zabuza and Tsunami turned away and walked off, with Kakashi noting that Tsunami wrapped both of her arms around Zabuza's left arm, the two walking close together.

Kakashi chuckled as he turned to Anko and Asuma and said "Well you heard him. We've been traveling for a while and our students need to relax anyways. Might as well enjoy ourselves before we hear the story and drag Naruto back in the morning."

"You're just going to let him go?" Asuma asked.

Kakashi nodded and said "Of course. He's causing no harm."

"He is Momochi Zabuza! The Demon of the Hidden Mist! Does that not ring a bell to you?!" Asuma exclaimed, causing a few of the villagers to pause at him before they walked past him to continue the festival.

"He is a dangerous shinobi, running free in this village. How can you allow him to just leave, especially if he knows where our mission objective is?" Asuma continued with a shout.

Kakashi and Anko looked at him blankly.

"Asuma, I think you need a drink to calm your nerves. You're getting too hot under the collar about this," Gai said suddenly beside Anko, causing the latter to shriek in surprise before she turned her body and smashed her cotton candy in his face.

"Don't do that!" Anko exclaimed as she mushed the candy into Gai's face, hard enough for him to bend backwards with his right leg off the ground.

Ignoring the incredulous look from Asuma, Kakashi opened his book of Icha-Icha Paradise and waived him off as he walked away, saying "Well, if this conversation is over, I'll see you guys later."

Kakashi knew he should be taking this mission seriously but at the same time, he didn't want to drag Naruto back just yet.

 _'_ _Enjoy the festival kiddo…Because you'll be torn away from this place soon…'_ Kakashi thought sullenly.

* * *

 ** _Village of Hisako  
Shine of Hisako  
Uzumaki Naruto_**

With a shout, Naruto's enflamed right hand clawed down the face of an Oto shinobi, leaving a claw mark filled with hellfire behind and seconds later, the shinobi fell to the ground in agony as his face began catch on fire and soon, his body was soon on fire as well and that fire remained until it was nothing but charred remains.

Naruto looked up at the three remaining Oto shinobi, all of which were staring at him with a mixture of fear and horror, the bodies of their allies all around them, dead or dying.

When Naruto and Fū had gotten to where the shrine was located, they had discovered a large digging site with a small red and golden shrine smack dab in the middle of the dugout crater where a medium sized gathering of Oto Shinobi ruthlessly beating the villagers they had forced to dig around the shrine.

Naruto didn't take kindly to this act and immediately sprang into action with the Kubikiri Hōchō, slaughtering them all with the blade until he took them down with his hands until only three remained.

"I will ask this again…What did you Oto take from the shrine?" Naruto asked darkly, his eyes ablaze with the Netherrealm's flames.

One of the Oto shinobi, a black haired boy with wild bed hair, a beige shirt with the kanji for "Death" written on it, a snake patterned scarf that was around his neck and grey/black shinobi pants, stepped forward and said "I ain't no pussy! Just because you killed those other posers doesn't mean you'll get me."

"Zaku!" An Oto kunoichi, with long black hair tied in a loose ponytail, a green tank top, black bracers, camouflage grey/black pants and a snake patterned scarf that was around her neck, shouted from behind the rather bold Oto shinobi, which caused Zaku to look at her.

The kunoichi was currently sitting on the ground due to a kunai sticking out of her left hip and right leg, thrown by Naruto during his assault.

"You saw what he did to the others! Just back down and tell him what he needs to know!" the kunoichi continued with fear in her voice.

Zaku shook his head and looked back at her and said "I cannot…I can see how strong he is but I will not betray Orochimaru-sama…" Zaku then looked at his arms, which hung limply at the sides, bleeding, and added "No matter how much pain I am in."

"Zaku…" Kin breathed out.

Naruto then watched as the final Oto shinobi, a male with bandages covering everything but his left eye, a large grey poncho with long sleeves, a snake patterned scarf around his neck, black shinobi pants and a straw raincoat, stepped forward to stand beside Zaku and said "I am in agreement with him Kin. Orochimaru-sama saved us from certain death…I couldn't forgive myself if I failed him now."

"Dosu…" Kin murmured softly as she continued to sit on the ground behind the two.

Naruto shut his eyes and said "How foolish…You two face your death and you still stand to face me. It's foolish…But admirable all the same. It is truly a shame I must kill you here."

Naruto stabbed the large blade into the ground and said "But while I will kill the two of you, I shall fight you with my hands instead of the Kubikiri Hōchō. I will grant you two that mercy."

"Fuck your mercy!" Zaku shouted as he dashed forward and aimed a kick to Naruto's head, but Naruto ducked the kick and leapt into the air, while grabbed Zaku's face, and slammed the Oto shinobi down to the ground.

Just as Naruto landed however, Dosu roared as he ran with his right arm outstretched, his amplifier now visible to Naruto. Naruto scowled and grabbed the arm that was about to strike him but he then saw Dosu smirk beneath the bandages.

It was then that Naruto felt a large amount of pain in his body. So much pain that it caused his body to vibrate slightly. Naruto continued to grip the amplifier on Dosu's right forearm but without warning, Zaku's foot suddenly slammed into Naruto's stomach, which had him disengage from the hold and leap backwards away from the two but when he landed, he nearly stumbled.

"Kyōmeisen (Resonating Echo Drill), It damages the target's inner ear, which can knock them off balance just enough for them to die," Dosu said with a smirk on his face

Naruto felt nauseous as he stood against the two and thought ' _How interesting…The only warrior I know that can use sound waves as a weapon is Sindel, the deceased Queen of Edenia. It is a shame that it won't save him from his fate.'_

Naruto then straightened up and watched as the two dashed forward to him but this time, Naruto pulled out two kunai and waited for his chance. He would need to focus hard to counter the effects of the Kyōmeisen.

Naruto waited for the two to come towards him and the minute they did, Naruto leapt up and kneed Zaku in the jaw, sending the Oto shinobi to the ground but Dosu quickly appeared in front of the downed shinobi and thrust his right arm forward to strike Naruto.

Naruto dashed to the side and stabbed the amplifier on Dosu's arm with the kunai so hard, both the kunai and the amplifier exploded upon impact, which also took off Dosu's right arm.

Dosu screamed in agony but Naruto quickly silenced those screams by stabbing the second kunai into the throat of the Oto shinobi. Dosu took a step backwards, his screams quickly become gurgles before he fell backwards.

The sound quickly stopped.

"Over-Confidence is often the death of many shinobi," Naruto said to Dosu's body, which had gone still. "Hopefully, you learn this in your next life…"

"Dosu!" Zaku screamed in terror before he looked at Naruto with rage in his eyes and that was when he got up from his spot and dashed towards Naruto while shouting "I'll kill you!"

Naruto turned his head and pulled out another kunai and just as Zaku launched himself forward, Naruto leapt as well and when the two met in the air, Naruto's kunai found itself in the middle of Zaku's face.

Naruto landed on the ground on one knee while Zaku landed on his back, as dead as his teammate was a few feet away from him.

Naruto rose up from his kneeled position and walked towards Kin, who began to crawl backwards away from him.

As Naruto walked, he yanked the Kubikiri Hōchō from the ground and dragged it behind him until he stopped in front of Kin, who looked as if she was going to drop dead in front of him.

"While they all died for their foolishness, I shall give you a chance. Tell me what was taken from this shrine and I will let you walk away alive," Naruto said but he then pointed the blade at her and added "If not, I will make your death my example to the rest of the Oto shinobi in this village…Your choice."

Kin's eyes widened in terror as she stared at the blade and said shakily "I'll tell you everything I know. Just don't kill me please!"

"Very well," Naruto explained before he stabbed the blade into the ground and said "Now let's g-" Naruto swiftly knocked Kin out with a chop to the neck and swiftly used her headband to wrap her wrists together and used the headband of a dead shinobi nearby and wrapped her ankles together.

Naruto looked up and motioned Fū to come join him. Fū skidded down into the large crater before she bounced to Naruto's side and kneeled beside him and asked "How can I help?"

Naruto looked to the unconscious Kin and said "Take her back to the Hotel and put her in an empty room…And try to tie her up with someone thicker than these."

Fū nodded and asked him "And what will you do?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and turned his head and said "I was going to investigate the shrine but now, I'll be dealing with some unwanted guests…" Naruto then stood up and turned his head to see an Oto shinobi with six arms and another shinobi with flowing red hair.

Fū nodded and lifted up Kin's unconscious body and leapt out of the crater and dashed off and for a moment, Naruto could see that the red haired was about to leap after Fū but the six-armed shinobi motioned for her to stop.

"Heh, so this is the threat Kimimaro was worried about. Just a baby faced blond," the shinobi said with a laugh but the female wasn't laughing. In fact, the red haired kunoichi seemed to realize the threat standing before them.

And that made Naruto smirk.

* * *

Rain: And that is where I'll end it. So I'm trying to get back into it but I hope this chapter was good. Thanks so much for reading!

Mario: See you next time!


	14. Chapter 14

Rain: Hey guys! I am back with a brand new chapter! No time for introductions! Let's get right to it!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 _ **Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn  
Chapter Fourteen: Trapped in the Spider's Web! A Shocking Betrayal**_

 _ **Village of Hisako  
Shine of Hisako  
Uzumaki Naruto**_

"Take her back to the Hotel and put her in an empty room…And try to tie her up with someone thicker than these."

Fū nodded and asked him "And what will you do?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and turned his head and said "I was going to investigate the shrine but now, I'll be dealing with some unwanted guests…" Naruto then stood up and turned his head to see an Oto shinobi with six arms and another shinobi with flowing red hair.

Fū nodded and lifted up Kin's unconscious body and leaped out of the crater and dashed off and for a moment, Naruto could see that the red haired was about to leap after Fū but the six-armed shinobi motioned for her to stop.

"Heh, so this is the threat Kimimaro was worried about. Just a baby faced blond," the shinobi said with a laugh but the female wasn't laughing.

In fact, the red haired kunoichi seemed to realize the threat standing before them.

And that made Naruto smirk.

"This "baby-faced blonde" wields the power of hellfire. The same hellfire that has rendered many here asunder," Naruto responded calmly but the smirk on his face seemed to grow. "Let's see how you handle the heat of it."

Kidōmaru laughed boisterously at Naruto. "Look at this cocky guy. Thinks he's the main boss when he's nothing but a mook," Kidōmaru exclaimed with a laugh but Tayuya still remained silent, as if she was rooted in fear by the blonde standing below them within the crater.

"Kidōmaru...This isn't a game...Look at what this guy has done," Tayuya stated as she swept her hand over the entire area where tons of their shinobi laid deceased, some of them still on fire. "This guy is dangerous. We need to kill him now."

"Oh I know," Kidōmaru stated to her with a frown on his face. "But I need to taunt him a little b-" Without warning, Naruto appeared in front of Kidōmaru and cold cocked in him the face, sending the multi-limbed shinobi sailing towards the ground.

Tayuya took a step back and pulled out a kunai with her right hand and lunged it towards Naruto's head but the shinobi moved his head to the right in order to avoid it where he then grabbed her right wrist.

The two locked eyes for a moment, her face twisted in a scowl while his had a grin on his face.  
"Far too slow to strike me," Naruto told her.

Just then, Naruto leaned forward and rammed his right elbow into her gut then raised his elbow upwards sharply, nailing her underneath the chin which sent her off of the pillar they were standing on.

Tayuya managed to land on her feet and quickly pulled out several kunai and launched them towards the blond male.

While in the air, Naruto summoned his hellfire chain and twirled it around quickly, deflecting the many kunai that were heading his way before thrusting it to her as he shouted "Get over here!"

Tayuya dashed backwards to avoid the fire made kunai but Naruto tugged at it hard to send him soaring to the ground where he landed in a crouch.

Naruto quickly rose up and aimed a punch at her head but Tayuya leaned back to avoid the punch and aimed a kick to his gut.

Naruto caught her extended foot by the ankle and pulled her close and punched her in the middle of the face, sending her upper body slamming into the ground.

Naruto gripped her leg and began to turn his body clockwise at a fast rate, slowly lifting Tayuya off the ground which each go around before he let go of her leg, sending her sailing through the air before she crashed against a steel beam.

"Child's Play," Naruto chuckled out loud to himself with a cross of his arms.

Just then, Kidōmaru leaped out of the rubble he had fell into and shouted "Kumo Sōka (Spider Web Flower)!" Kidōmaru spat out several strands of web towards Naruto. Naruto saw this and summoned his hellfire kunai and shot it towards Kidōmaru's webs.

Naruto quickly released his hold on the chair and fired several more chains towards the Oto shinobi's web, which caused each web to melt under its extreme heat. Kidōmaru snarled and avoided the chains that Naruto sent before he jumped into the air and shouted "Kumo Nenkin!"

He placed his six hands against his mouth and pulled out this golden, sticky material which quickly took the shape of kunai and became hard as steel, which he then launched towards Naruto's running form.

Naruto slammed his foot against the flat side of the Kubikiri Hōchō to unearth it from where he stabbed it down and used it to deflect the golden kunai that had come towards him before he twisted his body and launched the blade towards the six-armed shinobi.

Kidōmaru growled and moved to the side to avoid the blade and once again pulled the sticky gold material from his mouth but instead of kunai, each strand of the gold material became short blades.

Kidōmaru landed in front of Naruto and began to stab the short swords towards the Uzumaki but the shinobi avoided each strike as fast as he could before he performed bent backwards and performed a backflip out of nowhere, kicking Kidōmaru underneath the chin to put the six-armed shinobi unbalanced while Naruto went backwards in the air.

Naruto recovered in the air and sent a hellfire chain towards Kidōmaru, which impaled the shinobi in chest before Naruto shouted "Come here!" where he then tugged Kidōmaru hard enough for him to fly off of his feet towards Naruto.

Naruto smirked and twisted his body in the air repeatedly, causing Kidōmaru to swing around in a circular motion before Naruto let go of the chain, causing the Oto shinobi to soar into a stone pillar, which cracked and exploded upon impact, burying Kidōmaru beneath its rubble.

Naruto landed on another pillar and crossed his arms in thought.

This was going easier than expected.

Just then, a the sound of a flute reached his ears, causing him to turn his head to stare at Tayuya, who was glaring at him hateful. Naruto then noticed three dark violet chakra blobs were forming around him.

The blobs then began to take shape into three beings and when the chakra faded away, Naruto was surprised.

Standing around him were three demons and while each demon was different in appearance, each demon wielded a different weapon and all of them are very large and muscular.

One wore a dark green full-body suit and its hair covers its entire head and face and it was wielding a giant studded metal club.

The other was shirtless and wears dark pants and was bald with scars on its head, and it wore a blindfold and it wielded a thorn-like weapon tied to each arm.

The last had its upper body covered in bandages and wears brown pants. Its head is in an awkward position and has several needles pinned on it. It didn't have arms and so it didn't have any weapons.

But each demon has a purple, rope-like belt tied in an inverted bow around its waist, similiar to Tayuya's own bow.

Naruto was impressed.

The only being he had ever known to summon demons was Quan-Chi and while these were low level demons he could take on anytime, he was still impressed that a human would be able to summon them with music.

 _'She is truly strong...'_ Naruto noted thoughtfully as he stared at her before he shouted vocally  
"You impress me woman. To be able to summon demons is a powerful feat. However, these three are only low level demons. They are no match for me."

Tayuya scowled and said "You cocky trash! I'll make you eat those words!" She then placed the flute to her lips and began to play. The three Doki immediately launched themselves towards Naruto, who leapt off the pillar backwards, his arms still crossed.

The spike wielding Doki appeared before him and tried to stab at Naruto at a relentless pace but Naruto was able to avoid the many strikes before the club wielding Doki pushed him aside and swung the club down with brutal force but Naruto smacked the club away and dashed backwards but the third Doki appeared behind.

Naruto quickly turned around and blocked the roundhouse kick with both of his arms both the force of the kick sent Naruto sailing down to the ground but he rebounded off of the ground and landed on his feet.

The three Doki appeared with a flicker around Naruto, the Spike Doki and the Club Doki to his left and right respectively while the kick Doki appeared before him.

The Kick Doki aimed a kick to Naruto's face but Naruto twisted his body to avoid the kick only to duck the wide side-to-side swing of the Club Doki and as he knelt down, he swept his leg under the both the Club Doki and Kick Doki, sending them both to the ground.

Naruto noticed Spike Doki aiming his spikes towards his head and rolled forward onto his feet before he flipped back and nailed Spike Doki in the face with a hellfire-infused left kick, sending the Doki stumbling backwards.

Naruto flipped to his feet once more and was kicked in the face by the Kick Doki, which sent him flying back into a stone pillar, causing a spider web cracks within it before he fell to the ground but Naruto got back on his feet to avoid the club swing of Club Doki.

Naruto twisted his body around so he stood behind the Club Doki and wrapped his arms around the waist of the Doki before bending backwards sharply, slamming the large creature into the ground head first.

Naruto dropped to the ground and rolled from under Club Doki and rose to his feet just to duck once again due to Spike Doki suddenly flicking before him with its right arm already in the stabbing motion.

Naruto crouched down and summoned a hellfire kunai and rammed it into the gut of the Doki before he rose up sharply, slicing through the body and head of the Doki before he jumped up and kicked the left side of its head, sending it soaring away from the battle.

But while Naruto was in the air, Kick Doki flickered in front of Naruto and kicked the shinobi in the chest, sending Naruto flying backwards and slamming against another pillar but as Naruto began to fall foward, Kick Doki flickered in front of him again and kneed Naruto in the gut, causing Naruto to fully go through the piller at an upward angle, sending him into the air.

Naruto managed to catch himself in the air just as Kick Doki flickered in front of him again but this time, Naruto rammed his hellfire kunai through the middle of the its head before shouting "Get over here!"

The kunai pierced through the Doki's skull as the hellfire chain flew down towards Tayuya's form. Tayuya saw this and rolled to the side, allowing the kunai to pierce through the stone.

Naruto tugged at the chain hard while placing his feet up so when he tugged, his feet slammed into Kick Doki's body, sending the two whipping down to where the kunai was pierced.

And once the two got to where the kunai was placed, the stone exploded upon impact, causing smoke to billow from the ruins. Naruto rose up from the rubble and took a step back, panting slightly as he placed his hand over his gut.

That was difficult.

Naruto turned his head and realized Tayuya was missing. Without warning, Tayuya flickered in front of Naruto with her arm cocked back in an attempt to punch him. Naruto side-stepped the punch but was not able to avoid the sharp jab of her knee which slammed into his gut.

Naruto staggered back and swayed left and then right to avoid her quick jabs before he ducked the third jab and leaped off the ground to knee her under the chin, sending her into the air. Naruto quickly moved his hand forward and shouted "Come here!" Causing the hellfire chain to shot out towards her. The chain slammed into Tayuya's left shoulder.

Naruto then pulled her down sharply and released his hold of the chain before he tackled her out of the air and slammed her into the ground. Tayuya wrapped her legs around his waist to keep him close while she swiped her elbows at him but Naruto grabbed her arms and held her to the ground.

Tayuya growled and leaned her head back before moving it forward sharply, causing her forehead to collide with Naruto's sending his head whipping backwards but he quickly responded by whipping his head forward and returning the headbutt, sending her head slamming into the ground.

Naruto felt her legs around his waist go lax, which allowed him to break out of her hold. Naruto stood up and shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs from his mind while Tayuya slowly rose to her feet as well, just as dazed as Naruto.

Just then, the two both heard "Gotcha! Kumo Sōka!" Tayuya turned around to face the owner of that noise before her body whipped into Naruto's body, causing them both to soar back into a stone column, with Kidōmaru's web attached to the both of them.

"Haha! Score in one!" Kidōmaru exclaimed. When Naruto titled his head to glance at the shinobi, his eyes widened in surprise.

Kidōmaru's entire appearence had changed.

His skin had become dark red.

His irises were now a sickly yellow with dark black eye sclerae. He had canine teeth, elongated fingernails, and his hair had become longer and grey. He also had horns on his forehead, shoulders and elbows and the mouth become wider.

Tayuya noticed his change and said "Fuck! He activated his cursed seal!"

 _'Cursed Seal?'_ Naruto thought to himself.

That was the reason for this change.

Interesting...

Naruto looked down at the webbing and noticed that it was gold in color, nothing like the web that he had melted earlier and it was very dense. He could hardly move within its grasp.

A perfect trap...Anyone that didn't wield the power of the Netherrealm would have a lot of difficulty with it.

"You two lovebirds were so into your battle, I had to take advantage of it," Kidōmaru said, his voice deeper and rougher than before. "So thanks for the distraction Tayuya but It's time for me to complete this mission."

Tayuya rolled her eyes and said "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you get me out of here now?! This isn't an exactly comfortable position you know!"

Both Naruto and Tayuya then saw Kidōmaru smirk at her words and suddenly a look of forboding appeared on Tayuya's face.

"Sorry Tayuya," Kidōmaru said, his smirk betraying the tone he was trying to make. "But this is where we part ways."

Tayuya's eyes widened in horror before she said "Very funny idiot. Come get me out of here," but despite trying to keep her voice level, Naruto could hear the fear in her voice.

Kidōmaru shook his head and replied "I can't do that Tayuya...Kimimaro's orders were and I quote "The moment we kill the potential threat, you Kidōmaru are to exterminate the dead weight known as Tayuya." And as we both know, If I refused, he would kill me...So...Rather you than me!"

"You fucking Cocksucker!" Tayuya shouted in rage but the fear in her voice rang clear in Naruto's ears. The one thing Naruto could not stand was betrayal. Not only due to Quan-Chi's betrayal but Mizuki's betrayal as well.

Even if she was an enemy, she had put up one hell of a fight, while he hid away like a bug under a leaf and she didn't deserve to die by her scumbag team.

Naruto eyes narrowed dangerously the multi-limbed shinobi as the latter laughed and said "So you would rather betray your teammate to save your own skin? I'll see you burn for this deception..."

Kidōmaru shrugged and said "Rather her than me. As Shinobi, we have to make certain sacrifices. It doesn't help that Tayuya has been a right pain in our asses since she joined up. Her stank attitude was what caused this. Doesn't help that she doesn't even have a cursed seal. Literal dead weight."

Tayuya growled in fury at the spider-like shinobi and said "I'm going to chop of all of yours arms and shove them down your throat when I get my hands on you!"

The shinobi smirked and said "It's a good thing then that I will be killing you from a distance!" Kidōmaru flipped back to gain some distance before he jumped onto a stone pillar and when he landed, he created a bow out of his Kumo Nenkin and said "Kumo Senkyū: Suzaku (Spider War Bow: Terrible Split)!"

With a thick strand of web that became an arrow, he used stood on one leg while using his limbs to pull at the bow to notch the arrow.

Tayuya began to struggle violently as she shouted "Damn you Kidōmaru!"

"Calm down," Naruto admonished with a frown on his face. "I can get us out of this. I just need you to stay still."

"Stay still?! How can I trust you to get us out of here?! We just tried to kill each other!" Tayuya exclaimed while continuing her struggling.

"We were enemies...You were betrayed...We have a common foe in that spider-shinobi up there. As long as you don't try to kill me after we are free, then I will not strike you," Naruto told her with a frown on his face.

Tayuya scowled and looked up at him and exclaimed "And why should I trust you?! My own fucking teammate is going to kill me so why should I trust my enemy, even a former one?!"

Naruto quirked a small grin and said "Because I have too much to live for..."

Tayuya paused for a moment before she stood stock still while she retorted "Well what do I have to fucking lose?"

Naruto smirked and said "Only your life," before flames deep from the netherrealm began to build around the two of them.

Tayuya looked around her fearfully and said "My life is in your hands you idiot...I'll find you in the afterlife if you fuck up."

Naruto chuckled at this and replied "And I will await you in the netherrealm shall I fail..." The flames then roared to life just as Kidōmaru shot his arrow and when the flames died down, Naruto and Tayuya leapt to the side, barely able to avoid the arrow that pierced and destroyed the stone column they were trapped on.

"What?!" Kidōmaru shouted in shock.

Tayuya smirked and said "Time to be a woman of my word!"

Naruto grinned and replied "Good...Let's serve up BBQ spider arms, courtesy of me!"

Tayuya laughed and re-summoned her Doki and pointed them at Kidōmaru while Naruto disappeared in a burst of hellfire.

* * *

Rain: And that is where I will end this chapter. A fairly short chapter but after having writers block for this for ages, I'm just glad I was able to crank it out. The next chapter will end this fight and will start the process to ending this arc. So until then...

Mario: See you next time!


	15. Chapter 15

Rain: And I am back with a brand new chapter! *confetti* let's just get right in the spider-like beating right now!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 _ **Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn  
Chapter Fifteen: Shaken**_

 _ **Village of Hisako - Shine of Hisako  
Uzumaki Naruto and Tayuya Vs Kidōmaru**_

The battle between the Deadly Alliance of Naruto and Tayuya against Kidōmaru had been nothing short of smooth sailing for the two shinobi.

Tayuya knew for a fact that Kidōmaru was used to being the sharpshooter of the team, he wasn't used to having to be in the front lines actually fighting.

But he made the mistake of dealing with two people that were always in the front line and with her skills and her Doki, she could strike anywhere and seeing Naruto's skills as his enemy showed her that he was a forced to be reckoned with.

Meanwhile, Naruto was annoyed.

His opponent kept running and gunning and anytime he or any of Tayuya's Doki got close, he would launch a killer arrow at them before fleeing. The last opponent in his world that did this was Erron Black and it would annoy him to no end.

'I suppose somethings don't change,' Naruto thought to himself as he let out an aggravated shout and launched kunai towards the multi-limbed shinobi, who threw two kunai of his own.

Naruto landed on the ground and stabbed the Kubikiri Hōchō into the ground before he disappeared with a burst of hellfire, only to reappear next to Kidōmaru and landed a solid punch to the shinobi's face.

Kidōmaru sneered and launched two fists at Naruto, but this shinobi blocked one fist with his left arm and the second fist with right arm but Kidōmaru's remaining four fists collided with Naruto's chest, which caused the Hellfire shinobi to soar backwards into the awaiting arms of Club Doki.

Kick Doki and Spike Doki dashed past Club Doki and Naruto and towards Kidōmaru, who sneered and notched and arrow that had an explosive tag on it and shot it towards Spike Doki and the moment it collided with the Doki, a large explosion rocked the area.

But through the smoke, Kick Doki flew out feet first to try and land a flying kick to Kidōmaru but the Doki's foot was caught by two of the spider shinobi's hands. Kidōmaru smirked and spun the Doki around several times before releasing it, sending the Doki into the air where Kidōmaru attached three explosive tags on an arrow and shot it towards the Doki.

Kick Doki twisted its body and slammed the arrow with his right heel, sending it falling to the ground before it exploded but Kick Doki was struck by another arrow, which exploded upon impact, causing a large cloud of black smoke In the air.

Kidōmaru would have smirked but Club Doki flickered before him while Naruto exploded into view from Hellfire, the former's club swinging down at him while the latter had a flame-imbued left fist aimed at his stomach.

Kidōmaru used his upper arms to catch the club while using two arms to hold back Naruto's flame covered fist but when he saw Naruto smirk, panic coursed through his veins. Seconds later, Naruto's other hand, which was holding two kunai, popped into Kidomaru's view, aimed at his face.

Kidōmaru managed to grab Naruto's wrist with his last set of arms, the tips of the kunai mere inches away from his face. Kidōmaru felt safe for a moment but it was not to last because as he held the arms at bay, he didn't expect Club Doki's foot to slam into his chest and when it did, it sent him flying backwards, releasing the hands of Naruto and the Club of Club Doki.

Kidōmaru bounced and skidded on the ground several times before he used his limbs to claw the ground, slowing down his momentum until he was finally able to stand on his two feet and saw Club Doki charging towards him so with a sneer, Kidōmaru shouted "Kumo Sōka (Spider Web Flower)!"

Several thick strands of web shot out towards Club Doki, slowing down the Doki until it was fully trapped within his web and as the Doki struggled, Kidōmaru performed several back-flips until he leaped into the air, notched his bow and arrow and launched it towards Club Doki.

The Doki swung its club to knock the arrow away but the arrow pierced the club and then pierced the head of the Doki.

The demon took two steps back as it dropped the club and shattered into dust but the arrow continued forward to Tayuya, who was trying to re-summon the three Doki.

Tayuya narrowly avoided the arrow and ran towards Kidōmaru but each time she bought the flute to her mouth, she was forced to avoid them by dodging them but each time she did, they got closer and closer to striking her until her luck finally ran out when an arrow pierced through her side, causing to gasp out in pain.

Tayuya flew backwards from the force of the arrow going through her side and slammed against the flat side of Naruto's blade.

"Tayuya!" Naruto shouted but before he could do anything, an arrow was shot towards him, causing Naruto to explode into hellfire and appear by his sword.

Naruto could see Tayuya struggling to get to her feet but kept falling. Naruto knelt down to her side and said "Just stay here. I will finish this."

"No fucking way will have you do this on your own!" Tayuya shouted but she then closed her eyes and winced in agony.

Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder and asked "Are you able to heal yourself?"

Tayuya nodded and said "Every shinobi in Oto was trained to have some basic medical jutsu..."

"Then use them. I will hold him off until you are ready to continue," Naruto said. Tayuya opened her mouth to argue but she nodded.

"Good," Naruto told her before he stood up and disappeared in a burst of hellfire.

Kidōmaru sneered at and said "Its time bust out my ultimate move!" With a bite of his thumb and seven hand signs, Kidōmaru slammed his wounded hand to the ground and shouted "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

But before he could put his hands down to complete the summon, Naruto's body exploded beside him with his Kubikiri Hōchō in hand, mid-swing.

Kidōmaru had no time to dodge as Naruto's sword swung down, taking off the top left arm of the spider shinobi, sending it flopping to the ground on top of the seal.

Kidōmaru howled in agony as as his right upper arm went to grasp the wound but Naruto's blade swung upwards and while Kidōmaru was able to avoid being decapitated, his upper right arm was not so lucky, being cleaved off elbow down, causing the other arm to fall on the seal as well.

Kidōmaru dashed backwards to avoid another swipe of Naruto's blade as tears streamed down his face at the sheer agony he was feeling but as he jumped back, Naruto jumped forward and swung his blade at a downward angle but while Kidōmaru managed to avoid being cleaved in half, he now bore a red slice going from his right shoulder to his left hip.

Kidōmaru landed on the ground and fell to one knee and pulled his bow and arrow and pulled on it as hard as he could while Naruto was in the air with his blade in the air and just as Naruto swung down, Kidōmaru growled out "Kumo Senkyū: Suzaku (Spider War Bow: Terrible Split)!" then took his shot then shouted "Kumo Sōka (Spider Web Flower)!"

Naruto swung his blade to cleaved through the arrow but it was then Naruto's body whipped back as webbing collided into his body, causing him to drop his sword as his body slammed into a pillar and onto the ground, webbing wrapped around his torso and arms.

As Naruto laid on the ground beside Tayuya, who was healing her wound, a dark shadow formed above their heads and when the two looked up, he saw a gigantic black tarantula with orange stripes going down the back of its abdomen and it was on a web on the pillars above the three of them.

"The hell?" Naruto stated with narrowed eyes.

"Oh fuck..."Tayuya growled out with dread.

"It's time to end this and you both! Kyodaigumo! Its time!" Kidōmaru stated, now enraged at the loss of his two limbs and wanting to end this battle before his time was done.

Kyodaigumo hissed out in anger as a large egg sack fell from its body. Kidōmaru jumped into the air with a kunai and sliced the large egg sack through the middle as he shouted "Kyodaigumo: Dokudokushīdesu Amagumo (Venomous Raining Spiders)!"

Naruto and Tayuya watched as dozens small spiders poured from the torn opening coming down towards the two of them, all of them and they were all pulsating with sickly green chakra.

The spiders hissed as they flew down towards the pair but before they could strike, a voice shouted Hyōton: Makyō Hyōshō Kyūtai (Ice Style: Demonic Ice crystal mirror sphere)!"

Just then, several ice mirrors formed around the two before they closed up, creating a dome around them. "W-What the hell?" Tayuya stammered out but Naruto merely shut his eyes and smiled.

"Thank you for saving us, Haku-chan," Naruto said as Haku stepped out of the mirror, a navy blue face mask over her face, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"There are many ways I dislike being woken up but to have someone burst into my room with a crying Oto-Kunoichi really takes the cake Naruto-kun. When we are done, we are having some words," Haku said before she turned to Tayuya and asked "Who is this?"

"I'm Tayuya. Oto...Well...Former Oto-Shinobi..." Tayuya replied.

Haku nodded for a moment before she turned to Naruto and asked "You trust her?"

"Well...She is fighting that Spider-man out there so yes. I'm trusting her for now," Naruto replied.

Haku nodded and tilts her head as the sounds of explosions shook the dome and said "Well then, let's handle this one properly." Haku knelt down to Naruto and with a few hand seals, she placed her hand on the webbing around Naruto and said "Hyōton: Aisutatchi (Ice Style: Ice Touch)

Ice formed against the webbing around Naruto's body Haku punched the frozen web, causing it all to shatter around Naruto's body. Naruto stood up and faced Haku before leaned his head forward to kiss her as thanks for freeing him, something Haku accepted enthusiastically before the two broke apart.

Once the two did, Naruto turned his head and said to Tayuya "Do you know that Jutsu?"

Tayuya nodded and said "Yeah. Its a bitch to deal with. Basically, those spiders are set to explode the moment they hit the ground and when they die, they send out a toxic fog that could kill you if you're in it too long. Its Kidōmaru's ultimate jutsu. The only way the poison fades away is if you kill him..."

Tayuya then grinned and added "For him to bust this out, we must be some trouble." Tayuya then laughed but stopped immediately when pain set in.

"You're hurt," Haku said as she knelt by Tayuya's side. "Move your hands so I can see how bad it is," Haku commanded.

Tayuya looked to Naruto, who nodded his head, which made Tayuya move her hands away from her wound, albeit reluctantly. Haku looked at the wound and said "I can heal this..."

Naruto stepped to the front of the dome with the Kubikiri Hōchō in his hands and said "Good Haku-chan. Heal her and then join me out there. Its time to send this pest to the Netherrealm."

Haku nodded and melted an ice mirror in front of Naruto and said "We'll join you once I am done then Naruto-kun and please...be careful."

Naruto smiled at her and nodded before he quickly dashed out with the Kubikiri Hōchō with the ice mirror forming behind him.

The moment Naruto stepped out of the dome, he immediately covered his mouth.

The entire area was coated with toxic fumes.

Unlike his time as Scorpion, where he was immune to poisonous toxins, he wasn't too sure that his body this time around was immune and he was not going to take any chances. He had to do something quick so Haku and Tayuya wouldn't walk out into this.

Naruto spun his blade and jumped up onto a pillar, above the poisonous mist and narrowed his eyes in thought as he crouched on top of it.

Where was he?

It was then Naruto heard something coming towards him from the toxic mist. Naruto jumped off of the Pillar and landed on the side of another pillar nearby just as an arrow crashed though the first one, causing it to splinter into large chunks of cement.

"I'm going to take your head!" Kidōmaru's voice shouted from the mist before another arrow shot out from the mist. Naruto let go of the edge of pillar and pushed himself off, falling into the mist but onto another pillar but just as his foot landed on the pillar, he quickly jumped off, avoiding another arrow which destroyed the pillar.

"You took both of my arms! I will make you pay! Whether by the poison or by my arrows!" Kidōmaru screamed as Naruto rolled onto the roof of Hisako's shrine which he quickly jumped off of to avoid another arrow, that struck the shrine, destroying it.

The moment Naruto landed on the ground, he felt an immense sense of dread immediately hit the area.

And that's when Naruto heard it.

 _ _"Kienai Hisako, honoo-en no haka (Indelible Hisako, tomb of flame)..."__

* * *

 _ **Village of Hisako - Ice Dome  
Momochi Haku and Tayuya**_

Haku performed several hand seals before she said "Hyōton: Hīringutatchi (Ice Style: Healing Touch)." A faint mist of ice flowed from Haku's palms as she placed her hands on Tayuya's wound, which caused her to wince at the immediate pain but then it began to fade.

The cooling sensation was nice on her. If Tayuya could place it, it would be like having a mint and drinking some ice cold water at the same time.

Totally refreshing.

Tayuya could feel the wound closing, thankful that despite the pain, the arrow had gone straight through her without any amount of damage but she knew she had gotten lucky. Kidōmaru was her...The Sound Five's Marksman...Their sharpshooter.

If he had no distractions from Naruto or her Doki, he would have taken her down.

Which only angered her further.

"You look angry...Tayuya was it?" Haku asked as she looked at the maroon haired girl.

Tayuya scowled and said "Damn right I'm angry! My team decided to betray me. It's even worse because Kidōmaru...The guy we're fighting...He was the only one I thought was my friend..."

Haku stared at her with a sad expression on her face, her hands still working to heal Tayuya of her wounds while the latter continued her rant. "Hell, not even thought. He was my friend and for him to just drop me like this and kill me, just because of Orochimaru's cock sleeve Kimimaro getting all uppity! It makes me sick. It makes me sick that I even cared about him and it sure as hell makes me feel like following that old rule of DTA."

"DTA?" Haku repeated curiously.

"Don't Trust Anyone," Tayuya replied with a frown on her face.

The two sat in silence for a moment as Haku continued to work on the wound before she said "When I was younger, I used to live in Kirigakure no Sato...During my years, Bloodlines were forbidden and anyone with one was to die...My Father found out my mother had a bloodline and he betrayed and murdered her and tried to kill me as well...Until I killed him.

Haku let a wry smirk appear on her face and said "I lived by that same motto of DTA until I met the "Demon of the Hidden Mist" Momochi Zabuza, who went from training me to his weapon into seeing me as his daughter."

Tayuya was silent for a moment, due to a mix of surprise of the famed "Demon of the Hidden Mist" being her father as well as Haku telling her this.

Haku looked back at the wound and said "The shinobi that was in here, Uzumaki Naruto...I was his enemy, sent undercover by someone I viewed as a father...But I fell in love with him but I betrayed him by fighting him and he died for me...Despite what I had done to him and he will never know but I will always carry that guilt with me..."

Tayuya finally looked at Haku and asked "Why the fuck are you telling me this?"

Haku gave a kind smile and replied "Betrayal can poison not only your mind but your heart as well. It can cause you to lash out and hurt many people just so you don't get hurt again...But sometimes, even a deep betrayal can lead you to something wonderful that can last a lifetime."

Haku then placed a hand on her shoulder and said "I know you're hurting now but that wound will heal...Unless you yourself keep it open. So don't let what Kidōmaru did poison you to miss out on something wonderful..."

Tayuya narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth to speak but Haku smiled and said "Though considering how this mission is turning out, I don't know what will happen in the future. So until the mission ends, How do you feel?"

Tayuya blinked and looked at her side.

The wound was gone and she felt great.

"Whoa...A little cold but It feels awesome. You're some medic," Tayuya said with grin on her face. "Thanks for the pep talk. I don't know what will happen but I will keep those words in mind."

Haku smiled and said "I did learn from the best. Don't thank me until everything works out. Now lets get out there and help Naruto-kun."

Just then, a feeling of dread the the Kunoichi in the chest, like a sledgehammer. Haku and Tayuya glances at each other and that was when Haku dispelled her ice crystals but when she did, their eyes widened in shock.

Naruto was standing stock still a few feet away from the two of them with his back to them and all around him was blood.

His entire body was drenched in it.

The entire man-made crater had blood so high up, it was up to their ankles. "Kami...What did he do?" Tayuya asked but Haku looked pale.

"It wasn't him...Naruto-kun didn't do this..." Haku told her softly.

Tayuya looked at her in alarm and said "He's all alone here. Who could have done it?!" Haku didn't look at Tayuya but she merely pointed ahead to where Naruto was standing.

Tayuya turned to face Naruto and at first, she saw nothing wrong but then she noticed something in front of him.

It was faint but she could see that there was an image of a teenage girl standing by his side, her hair slick with a torn red kimono and in her hand was Naruto's blade.

And in her other hand was the head of Kidōmaru.

The girl looked at Tayuya and Haku and both girls took a step back when the girl's, sickly gray eyes locked onto them and slowly, she smiled, revealing rows of sharp teeth. Just then, the girl flickered out of existence, dropping the Kubikiri Hōchō next to Naruto, still standing form.

The two quickly ran to Naruto and ran in front of them but when they saw his face, there was this look Haku had never seen on his face...She couldn't even place what the expression was.

Whatever it was, it made her fear the girl that stood at his side more than she would ever know.

* * *

Rain: And that is where I will end the chapter. Whatever Hisako did to Kidōmaru has Naruto spooked but what exactly did happen? You'll find out in the next chapter so until then...

Mario: See you next time!


	16. Chapter 16

Rain: And I am back with a brand new chapter. I've been so busy working on Legend of Dragoons: Dragoons of Konoha Reborn and Reaper's Blood: Final Mix that I nearly forget this bad boy, one of my best fanfics since the second version of Reaper's Blood but no worries, I didn't forget this bad boy. We are coming close to the end of the "Hisako" arc but I'm really excited about the arc after this so sit back, relax and enjoy!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 _ **Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn  
Chapter Sixteen: Closer**_

 _ **Unknown Location  
Uzumaki Naruto**_

Drip...Drip...Drip

Naruto's eyes slowly opened as the feeling of liquid dripping on his right cheek woke him up to pitch black.

Naruto leaned up from off the ground and wiped his right cheek and when he looked down, he noticed that what was dropping on him was blood. "Great..." Naruto muttered as he rose up from his position and stood up.

From what he saw around him, from the ground around him which held stalagmites to the ceiling that held stalactites to walls that were rough and cutting, he realized that he was in a cave.

A cave dripping blood.

At least his clothes were still somewhat dry.

From the breeze that hit his body, he could feel that he was at an intersection within the cave with a trail to his left and right as well as in front of him and behind him.

But he truly didn't have time exploring the cave, he needed to get out because the sooner he did, the sooner he could escape. After forming his hand in that familiar seal, Naruto said "Kage Bushin no Jutsu," allowing him to summon four clones.

"Dispel yourselves once you find an exit. Go," Naruto commanded.

The four clones saluted before they ran to their respective trails as Naruto shut his eyes and sat down with his legs crossed, entering a meditative state. While his clones looked for an exit, he needed to think on how he got here in the first place.

* * *

 _ **Flashback  
Village of Hisako  
Hisako's Shrine**_

 _"I'm going to take your head!" Kidōmaru's voice shouted from the mist before another arrow shot out from the mist._

 _Naruto let go of the edge of pillar and pushed himself off, falling into the mist but onto another pillar but just as his foot landed on the pillar, he quickly jumped off, avoiding another arrow which destroyed the pillar._

 _"You took both of my arms! I will make you pay! Whether by the poison or by my arrows!" Kidōmaru screamed as Naruto rolled onto the roof of Hisako's shrine which he quickly jumped off of to avoid another arrow, that struck the shrine, destroying it._

 _The moment Naruto landed on the ground, he felt an immense sense of dread immediately hit the area._

 _And that's when Naruto heard it._

 _"Kienai Hisako, honoo-en no haka (Indelible Hisako, tomb of flame)..."_

 _The poison mist around the entire field seemed to stop in place mid-movement before the mist began to rapidly rescind towards the now destroyed shrine, which revealed Kidōmaru, who was on a pillar across from Naruto, looking confused._

 _The mist continued to head towards the shrine until the battlefield was completely clear of it but the shrine itself had the mist flowing around it, forming an orb._

 _Slowly, Naruto watched as the undead body of Hisako walked out of the orb, her silky black hair falling down her face, her body hunched over and her body seemed to flicker in and out of reality._

 _"What the hell is that?!" Naruto heard Kidōmaru shout from behind him but Naruto's eyes kept on the form of the slow moving undead teen._

 _Suddenly, Hisako's body flickered to the left, revealing her to be crawling on her hands and feet, before she flickered to the right beside Naruto's body. **"Uzumaki Naruto...I ask of your help and you let this...Intruder destroy my shrine?!"** Hisako wailed in Naruto's ear, which made him dash away from her._

 _"It wasn't by choice mind you," Naruto replied as he lifted his hand up to his right ear, only to feel liquid. He moved his hand down from his ear and saw blood in his hand._

 _Naruto quickly turned to Hisako but she flickered into existence before him and shouted "You shall suffer with him!"_

 _Naruto barely managed to avoid the swipe of her left hand and used his blade to block her right hand and said "You must understand. It wasn't by my choice that your shrine was destroyed. Control your rage or else I will force you to control it."_

 _ **"My rage?!"** Hisako shouted as she flicked to his right and slammed her palm against his right cheek, sending him skidding back but just as she flickered beneath him in a crouch, Naruto leapt into the air to avoid her sweep and delivered an axe kick down to her head but before it could connect, she flickered away._

 _ **"You dare talk to me about rage Hasashi Hanzo?!"** Hisako's voice echoed around the area while Naruto stayed on high alert. Suddenly, Hisako flickered into existance to the right of him and aimed a high kick to his face but Naruto leaned back to avoid it before he twisted his body and aimed a punch to her face but again, she flickered away to avoid it._

 _Hisako flickered behind him with her left arm poised to strike but this time, Naruto saw her coming and quickly turned around and punched her in the face, which sent her sailing into the air before she flickered out of existance._

 _Naruto then heard whistling coming from behind him, which made him turn around to see an arrow from Kidōmaru heading towards him at top speed._

 _Naruto swung his blade and sliced through the arrow but the second he did, Hisako flickered before him with her mouth open to inhuman levels as ethereal shadow around her did the same and that was when Naruto could feel the air around him being sucked into her open mouth._

 _The suction was powerful and despite Naruto trying to transport himself out of the area, he was barely able to get a hint of hellfire before he fell into her mouth but suddenly, her body disappeared._

 _But she wasn't gone._

 _He could feel her within his body._

 _He could hear her whispers within his mind._

 _He could feel her anger coursing through his veins._

 _He wasn't in control of his body...She was._

 _And with her control came an intense agony that while it didn't hurt his body, it was his spirit that was suffering the damage. It was as if there was sharp glass within his soul and the tiniest movement caused a deep gash._

 _ **"Do not fear Uzumaki Naruto,"** she said within his mind. **"Your body is mine to command..."**_

 _"Get out of my body!" Naruto screamed out in fury, trying to will his hellfire to aid him but to his horror, the flames never came._

 _Instead, he could feel the cold embrace of her soul wrapped around his, trapping him in place. He could feel his body moving but he couldn't see what his body was doing, all he could see was her face._

 _Her eyes._

 _Those pale, dead gray eyes staring into his enraged blue ones._

 _As before, he could hear chanting in his head as her face grew ever so closer to his own, a large toothy smirk on her face._

 _"Ryuuketsu, ryuuketsu no gekido (Bloody, bloody rage)_

 _Sakebu, sakebu, shugo sha (Weep, weep, our guardian)_

 _ **"I will let you live...But I will make you wish you hadn't..."** Hisako whispered roughly as her spirit began to glow brightly._

 _"Kie nai Hisako, kie nai urami (Indelible Hisako, indelible grudge)_

 _Gyakusatsu, gyakusatsu no higeki (Slaughter, massacre of tragedy)_

 _Kie nai Hisa-"_

 _But then he saw it._

 _A flicker of crimson chakra swirling from behind him followed by the laughter of a woman but this laugh was filled with malicious intent._

 _ **"Thank you for waking me Hi-Sa-Ko!"** The voice said as another bout of dark laughter erupted around the two of them._

 _It was then he felt a large amount of Killing Intent around the two._

 _He could see Hisako's eyes widen, as if she was terrified of what she saw and it was then her soul left his body and suddenly he was back in control but when managed to see, he found himself standing in a bloody wasteland._

 _And beside him was Hisako, with his own blade in one hand and Kidōmaru's head in the other, her eyes locked onto his with fear in them. **"What is inside of you?"** She asked with terror in her voice._

 _Naruto wanted to laugh at her expression of fear but he couldn't. He felt...Off...he felt exhausted. His body was seconds away from dropping. All he could do is stare at her._

 _Hisako smirked and said " **No matter what that powerful entity was...I can sense your fear of what I nearly accomplished...Find my treasured possession...And I won't capitalize on your weakness again Hasashi..."**_

 _He could barely keep his eyes on her but that was when she vanished, leaving his sword and the head of his opponent beside him and the moment he saw Haku, everything went black._

* * *

 _ **End Flashback  
Unknown Location - Present Time  
Uzumaki Naruto**_

"The Kyūbi...She must have been the one to save me from whatever Hisako was planning to do with my soul..." Naruto said as he opened his eyes.

If there was one thing that he truly feared, it was someone having that ability to mess with his body and had been twisted and molded before by Quan Chi and having Hisako do it bought up some horrible memories for him.

What she had done admittedly shook him to his core but he couldn't allow that fear to overwhelm him.

He has conquered many trials in his life, this will make no difference...And if she did try that again...He would send her spirit scattered to the wind like ashes...

All he could do now is wait until he found a way out...

* * *

 _ **Village of Hisako  
Hotel  
The Kunoichi Trio  
**_

"Holy...So he was covered in blood?" Fū asked after Haku relayed what had happened at the shrine of Hisako to the front desk employee. The moment that teenage girl vanished from sight, Naruto had fallen unconscious, leaving Haku and Tayuya to return to the hotel, with the former carrying his body.

Naruto was currently resting on the bed, dressed in a basic white tank top and white pants, his other clothes were currently being washed to clean the blood.

Tayuya was leaning against the wall across from Naruto's bed with a foot propped up against the wall, her arms crossed against her chest. "Yeah. It's strange as hell honestly," Tayuya stated as she stared at the blond shinobi.

"He was keeping up with both me and that six armed dick the entire time. To see him be the one out cold is concerning. And also, who the fuck was that freaky spirit thing beside him?" Tayuya then looked at Fū and asked "Just what in the hell is this village?"

"That's a good question," Fū replied, her voice suddenly become heated. "What is in this village that caused you Oto shinobi to come here, raid the place and treat the villagers like scum?"

Haku turned to Fū in shock.

She may have known her for a short time but Fū was always very cheerful. For her to sound so angry, it put her off guard. Tayuya however didn't seem so surprised by her anger.

In fact, from where Haku was standing, she could see a look of understanding on Tayuya's face. "It's ok to be mad. I'm not going to shy away from what I did because that isn't me," Tayuya stated as she turned her head to Fū's direction.

"Basically, our mission was two-fold. One, find this special Naginata that is told to hold the spirit of a powerful entity for the snake dick to control and two, wipe this village off the map," Tayuya said.

"Wipe out the village?!" Fū shouted out in anger.

"That's right," Tayuya replied calmly. "The dick-head wanted to make sure that since this village didn't have over the Naginata when he demanded it, that we were to wipe it out once we found it."

"That monster," Haku murmured out, a bead of sweat falling down the side of her head as she glanced at Fū. The girl was radiating some fierce killing intent, so much so that she could pratically see crimson chakra exploding to life around her.

And her eyes...Her eyes had changed as well...They were orange before and now they were crimson. What in the world was going on with her?

Tayuya noticed this as well because she then pushed herself off against the wall and said "If you want to hit me then do so. I won't stop you but once you do, I will make sure to fight you until the bitter end."

"Tayuya..." Haku warned but Tayuya shook her head and stepped closer until she looked Fū right in her eyes, unwavering.

"Don't try and stop it Haku," Tayuya said. "Its her right to be pissed off at someone who has killed people she probably knows and cares for. I'd do the same. I have some honor after all."

The room was silent as Tayuya stared into the crimson eyes of Fū, the former of the two waiting for the latter to strike them down but then the latter spoke.

"Just tell me...Did you take pleasure in what you did?" Fū asked softly.

Tayuya's eyes widened in surprise at the question, as did Haku's.

"Did I take pleasure in killing? What type of question is that?" Tayuya asked.

"Just answer it!" Fū shouted.

Tayuya lowered her head and said "I love the thrill of battle, I will not lie to you there. Something about fighting the strongest around sends my heart all pitter-patter but killing innocent civilians? It disgusted me. I will complete my mission objectives nonetheless but I will not find joy in it."

Haku could hear the truth in Tayuya's voice but she wondered if Fū would hear it as well.

Another tense minute passed as Tayuya and Fū stared at each other but after the minute passed, the chakra faded away as Fū shut her eyes and began to count backwards until she reached zero before she then opened her eyes to reveal their original orange color.

The air suddenly became light and Haku found the killing intent fading away. "I can understand that in our line of work, we do things that we don't want to do...But some take pleasure in killing. Like your friend that Naruto-san and Haku-san killed that day...As long as you don't take joy in killing them...I won't have to kill you..." Fū said in a calm voice.

Fū then narrowed her eyes at Tayuya and said "But do not think for one second that we are friends. Once this is over, you and I will hash things out over the lives you did take while you were here. Understood?"

"Crystal," Tayuya answered with a grin as she held out her right hand and added "Such an edge in your voice...You must have some skill if you threaten me of all people."

"I'm used to dealing with shinobi," Fū responded darkly as she shook Tayuya's hand. All the while, Haku was watching Fū with narrowed eyes.

Just who was this girl?

Haku shook her head and said "Now that this is done, we need to figure out our next plan."

Fū nodded and said removed her hand from Tayuya's grasp and asked the shinobi across from her "So this Naginata...Were Oto able to find it?"

Tayuya shrugged and said "That I am unsure of. The girl you guys took before I battled the blond wonder of there was sent there to find it."

Haku and Fū glanced at each other before Fū quickly turned around and walked out of the room. Three minutes later, Fū returned with the unconscious Kin over her shoulder while dragging a wooden chair behind her.

Once she sat the chair down, Fū placed Kin on it and turned to Tayuya and asked "Do you want to do the honors or should I?"

Tayuya nodded and knelt in front of Kin and patted her left cheek quickly as she said "Wake up Kin. This is not the fucking time for a nap."

Kin's eyes squeezed together before they fluttered open, which caused Tayuya to grin. "Good afternoon sleeping beauty. Rest well?"

"I had a horrible dream about this blond demon who tore through many of our shinobi..." Kin started but as she looked around, she noticed Haku and Fū and then when she looked to the bed, she began to panic when she noticed the blond shinobi resting.

"T-Then it wasn't a dream..." She stammered out before she turned to Tayuya, who had a sympathetic smile on her.

"No dream Kin-chan. That blond demon did come and wiped out quite a few of us..." Tayuya told her with a frown on her face.

"Then how are you here?!" Kin exclaimed.

"I was betrayed by Oto..." Tayuya said bitterly, which caused Kin to gasp.

"No...No way, you were super loyal to Oto! Why did they betray you?!" Kin shouted.

Tayuya snorted and stood upright and said "Because I don't fit their mold or some shit like that. The blond demon and I fought Kidōmaru until he was killed...Bullshit I know."

Kin scowled and said "That is horrible but to side with the one that killed Dosu and Zaku and many of our men...It's crazy."

Tayuya let out a bitter laugh and said "I know...But a crazy part of me wants revenge for them tossing me away like trash."

Kin nodded and said "I understand...And you know that it puts me at odds right? I don't want to betray you but I..."

"I know," Tayuya said with a sad smile. "You want to stay loyal to Oto. I get that Kin-chan. Don't sweat it. They won't know you told me anything. But I need to know...Did you guys find the mission objective?"

Kin nodded and said "We were able to find it. Before that blond demon attacked...Zaku had ordered someone to take it to where you...The Sound Four were staying. If they didn't bump into the blond demon, it should be there by nightfall."

Tayuya glanced at both Fū and Haku and began with "Welp, we got what we needed," as she stood up from her crouched position and crossed her arms and continued with "So should we wake up the blond wonder of there so we can get going?"

"Hey wait!" Kin yelled. "What about me? Aren't you going to let me go?!"

Tayuya turned her head and pulled out a kunai and cut the rope around Kin and said "Get out of here and leave this village as soon as you can. I cannot promise your safety if you stay."

Kin stilled looked unsure but she nodded and said "Okay...Thank you Tayuya-chan." Kin leaned forward and embraced the redhead, who returned the hug immediately before Kin said "Be safe. Despite being with Oto, I do not want to lose another friend."

Tayuya nodded and said "You won't. Now go." Kin nodded and took a few steps to the door before she turned to Haku and Fū and nodded a them as well before she ran out the door, closing it after her.

Tayuya turned back to Haku and Fū and said "Now shall we wake him up?"

Haku nodded and walked to Naruto's unconscious form and shook him as she said "Wake up Naruto-kun." But Naruto remained sleeping. Haku shrugged and shook him again and yet he didn't move.

"Naruto-kun?" Haku said, her voice growing more urgent as she shook him again but he still remained sleeping. "What is going on? Why won't he wake up?" Haku said as she moved her hands away from him.

Fū walked up to the other side of Naruto's body and said "This is just great...Our one hope from killing these monstrous Oto shinobi...Out cold...Well...We'll just have to go with plan B."

Haku looked up to Fū and asked "And what would that be?"

"I can't wait to hear this plan," Tayuya said with a sneer while Kin remained silent, eyeing the three girls.

Fū walked to the window beside the bed and said "I haven't been honest with you or Naruto-san, Haku-san...I am not just a girl that works at the front desk of this place...I am a former Kunoichi from Takigakure no Sato."

Haku chuckled and replied "I had a feeling...Your stare off with Tayuya-san gave it away by why former?"

"Because I have the unfortunate issue of being the jinchūriki of Nanabi no Chōmei..." Fū said hesitaintly, not even wanting to admit it out loud.

Both kunoichi gasped in shock at the news. Haku knew of jinchūriki due to Zabuza's teachings about them while Tayuya knew of them due to Orochimaru advising them to either run or kill a jinchūriki on sight.

But none of them have ever seen one in person.

"I ran because I was sick of the hatred I saw in the eyes of those I was sworn to protect...So I came here and the villagers...They treated me great. Like I was a real person." Fū responded softly as she shut her eyes.

"I was finally happy...I finally belonged...But then Oto showed up and hurt those that I cared about..." Fū then opened her eyes with anger within them. "So since they invaded, I've been studying them but there was so many of them, I wasn't sure how to strike them until..."

Fū then looked to Naruto's body then to Haku and said "Until you two showed up. During my watch, I saw you both fight off those damn Oto shinobi and kill them without any hesitation...It was then I realized that I had the help I needed...I even left a note on the window to ask of your help."

Haku nodded and said "Yeah, it was that note that made me and Naruto-kun investigate further."

Fū crossed her arms and said "So...You guys know of my secret and why I am here. So, will you guys help me?"

"Jinchūriki..." Both Haku and Tayuya repeated slowly. The two then glanced at each other before Haku shook her head and said "My father told me about Jinchūriki...Before he died, our Mizukage was one. I have no qualms about that. You have my help."

"Orochi-teme told all of Oto about them. I don't care if you got a demon in you, I still plan to trounce you after all this is done. Demon or not. You did throw down the gauntlet after all. Besides...Oto betrayed me. I can't have leave that shit unfinished."

Fū turned around to face both Haku and Tayuya, the former having a small smile while other had a smirk on face and seeing that smirk made her grin.

"You won't be able to trounce me but you can try," the teal green haired girl responded before she said "But thank you both. With Naruto being unconscious, I am now stepping into the fray. It's about time I stop hiding in the shadows and stet into the light of battle."

"Then let's gear up and go. We got three more assholes to kill," Tayuya said to the two kunoichi with a grin.

Haku and Fū nodded but while Fū and Tayuya left the room, Haku turned to Naruto and stared at him for a moment before she leaned down and placed a small kiss on his lips and said "Please wake up soon," before she walked out of the room.

* * *

 _ **Village of Hisako  
Mayor's mansion  
The Sound Three  
**_

"This is taking far too long...Kidōmaru should have been back by now," Sakon said to Kimimaro with a scowl on his face.

Ukon quirked a brow and suggested "Perhaps Tayuya and Kidōmaru failed in killing this new opponent?"

Kimimaro nodded in agreement and said "Kidōmaru is one of our skilled sniper shinobi. He should have been back a long time ago with the heads of both our opponent and Tayuya. Something must have gone wrong..."

Just then, the door slammed open to reveal an Oto shinobi and a long item which was wrapped up in white paper, where a single seal written on the item.

"Kimimaro-san, we found it!"

* * *

 _ **Village of Hisako  
Village Gates  
Kin of Oto  
**_

Kin slowed down from her sprint and leaned against a street light near the gates of this village, her pants coming out heavily.

From the moment she left the hotel, Kin had been running since and she was quickly growing exhausted.

But Tayuya told her to escape the village as quickly as possible. But she was so tired...She just needed a second to rest before she continued her journey.

But as she stood there catching her breath, a faint mist began to form around the area. Kin blinked in confusion at the mist.

The sun was barely setting and all of a sudden, mist started to settle?

Kin leaned away from the street light as a feeling of dread began to fill her being.

And it was then she heard it...

 _"Kienai Hisako, honoo-en no haka (Indelible Hisako, tomb of flame)..."_

* * *

Rain: We are coming to the end of the arc now. With Naruto unconscious, Fū and Haku, along with the former Oto shinobi Tayuya are going to battle of the remains of sound but what is Hisako going to do with Kin? And what of Naruto himself? Only one way to find out...

Mario: See you next time!


	17. Chapter 17

Rain: And I am back with a brand new chapter. So originally, this chapter was supposed to be the last chapter of the Hisako Arc but I decided to split them into two so I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer so here is part one to the end of the Hisako Arc.

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 _ **Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn**_  
 _ **Chapter Seventeen: The Final Song! Angered Souls Collide (Part One)**_

 _ **Wave Village**_  
 _ **Forest**_  
 _ **Hyūga Hinata**_

"Hinata-san, how do you feel about the turn of events in Naruto-san's life?"

Hinata looked to the stoic Aburame Shino with a sad smile on her face. Everyone and their mother knew that she had feelings for the blond haired savior of Wave from the moment he had saved her from some bullies long ago but she was too shy to ever talk to him and now she lost her shot.

She felt crushed but she was also happy for Naruto that he found someone near and dear to him...But a part of her was jealous of the mysterious girl Sakura called "Haku" and why shouldn't she?

She believed in Naruto since they were small children and despite never having the courage, she truly did care for him. Knowing that someone else had captured his heart hurt and angered her, despite the fact she was glad he was happy.

Love was such a confusing feeling.

"It will take time for me to understand but I am glad he is happy," Hinata said with a sad smile on her face.

Shino nodded and said "I do agree as well. Naruto-san has not had the easiest life...it is about time he sees some happiness."

Hinata nodded in agreement before she stopped.

From the moment Hinata and come to Wave, she had felt this tugging sensation within her soul that continued to intrude on her day.

After feeling it for a third time, Hinata got annoyed by it and requested for Shino to accompany her to investigate this feeling, which led her to this forest near the entrance gate of Wave.

"Hinata-san, is there something wrong?" Shino asked curiously when she stopped but Hinata held up her right hand to silence him.

"T-This feeling...Whatever i-it is, its close b-by," Hinata stammered out with narrowed her eyes and began to run down the winding forest, with Shino in tow, the tugging sensation leading her way until they came upon an empty field within the forest.

"I-It is here," Hinata stuttered out before she knelt down and pulled out a kunai and began to drag the kunai against it, digging in the spot with Shino going across from her to help her dig.

After what seemed like an eternity of digging, the pair found a single blue box, wrapped with an ethereal chain wrapped around it.

"What is this?" Shino asked as Hinata reached down and grabbed the box but the moment she did, the chains began to glow brightly before they faded away, leaving it unchained.

The two were surprised by this but Hinata pulled the box from its spot and felt her heart hammering in her chest. Her soul felt as if it was on fire as she held the box but it didn't hurt her. Instead, it felt soothing to her.

Hinata removed the top of the box and when she did, she saw that the box held two navy blue closed fans with a steel blade at the tops of them, crossed in an "X" formation, looking as if it was brand new.

Hinata felt the sensation growing stronger as she walked to the shrine and knelt before it, her eyes solely on fans. "How did you know that these were here?" Shino asked Hinata but she didn't speak. She instead reached down and touched the fan and that was when Hinata felt a piercing pain shoot through her body.

The pain was so severe that she fainted and fell straight into Shino's arms.

"Hinata-san!" Shino exclaimed as he shook her. "Wake up!"

* * *

 _ **Wave Village**_  
 _ **Downtown Wave**_  
 _ **U.N Hunting Genin Squad**_

"Man, the more I see it, the more I can't believe it," Kiba stated as he slipped his hands into his pockets, Akamaru resting comfortably on top of his head beneath his hood. "I mean, this place is treating Naruto as a fucking deity. I don't know whether I should be jealous or shake his hand."

"Naruto truly deserves this though," Sakura said as he munched on some blue and orange cotton candy. "I mean, look at how he was treated back at home...No wonder he didn't want to come back..."

Ino, who sat beside Sakura on a bench, looked to the pink haired kunoichi and said "I'm still bugging out that you're defending him. You were the prime person hurting him. I mean, did what happened here effect you so much?"

"It did...There was so much I saw of Naruto that I never saw back at home," Sakura replied gently as she looked at the picture that hung on the building across from them. It was of Naruto feeding a small red haired girl with Haku beside him patting the girl's head.

She could see that gentle smile on his face.

The smile that made her heart skip a beat.

The smile that she had never seen directed at her. Sure, he would grin and smirk and give her a smile but this smile she had never seen him give her before and it bothered her.

It made her want him to direct it to her...She wanted to be the one that caused that smile to be on her face.

But she treated him so cruelly up until the mission to Wave...She didn't deserve that smile. Haku did.

Haku...

Their former enemy...His lover...

When she found out about the two of them, she was surprised but now as she sat, she felt her heart hurt from the thought of the two of them together. Why did it hurt her so much that Haku had the Uzumaki's heart?

Why did she care anyways? She wanted Sasuke! She wanted to be Sasuke's woman...And yet...

An image of Naruto smiling back at her when they were on the docks the day she apologized to him appeared in her head, which made her face heat up.

And yet...

Sakura shook her head and said "I wish I could change the past but I can't. The best thing I could do is treat him better for the rest of his life."

"Damn right," Tenten said with a large grin on her face as she leaned on the bench from behind beside Sakura. "I mean, I barely know the guy but from seeing how everyone is talking about him and seeing all of this stuff, he must be pretty cool."

Neji scoffed and said "He was the dead last. A failure to fate. He failed in my class, he failed in Hinata-sama's and yet he accomplished all of this. None of this should be happening."

Sakura frowned at the Hyūga and said "You are envious of him."

"E-Excuse me?" Neji asked the Haruno female with a stammer.

"You heard what I said," Sakura said, her voice still strong. "You are envious that a supposed "Dead Last" was able to not only able to become a shinobi but he has a village fawning over him as their savior. He managed to beat a powerful shinobi along with Zabuza and managed to sway Zabuza's apprentice to his side, while also saving the lives of Sasuke, Sakura and his Jōnin sensei, Hatake Kakashi as well as Zabuza and his apprentice."

Sakura then covered her mouth laughed as she said "He has managed to do more in his short time as a shinobi than you have in a year."

"You dare?!" Neji shouted as he rose from his seated position sharply but it was then Sakura stood up as well with her fists balled up.

"I spent years putting Naruto through hell. All of us have. I swore I would never allow anyone to speak lowly about him ever again and if that means fighting my fellow Konoha shinobi, I will," Sakura said with narrowed eyes.

Neji seethed but then his eyes widened as a look of realization appeared on his face. He let out a laugh. "I see it now. I see why you defend him so viciously...You're in love with him."

Sakura blinked, the fire within her being snuffed out immediately from his words.

"W-W-What?" Sakura breathed out, shock etched on her face.

"I can see it all over your face. You're in love with the him," Neji taunted with a smirk on his face.

"T-That isn't it!" Sakura exclaimed with a angered look on her face but as she thought about it, her angry frown changed into a confused one. "It...Can't be...Can it?"

"Holy..." Kiba started but before he could finish, he saw Shino running with an unconscious Hinata in his arms and in her arms, were two war fans.

"Hinata!" Kiba shouted, which caused everyone to look at Shino who ran to them and panted heavily.

"She...Fainted...After...Fans..." Shino panted out as he kept her steady in his arms.

"We have to get her to our sensei quick," Kiba said as he took Hinata from Shino's arms to help him out before the two ran off to Tazuna's house, which is where they knew Kurenai would be, with Team Gai following them, leaving Sakura and Team 10 behind.

"Sakura...Is it true?" Ino asked the pink haired kunoichi but Sakura didn't respond. Instead, she shook her head and walked away with her arms crossed, needing some time to be alone with her thoughts.

Shikamaru smirked and said to Chōji "Well, it seems not only did Naruto win the hearts of Wave, he managed to win over Sakura."

"Too bad he's taken now," Chōji responded as he chowed down on some ramen.

* * *

 _ **Wave Village**_  
 _ **Tazuna's Home**_  
 _ **U.N Hunting Jōnin Squad**_

"I see...So Naruto is no longer in Wave," Kakashi summerized as he sipped the tea that sat in front of him. Zabuza had invited the entire group back to Tazuna's home and told them of all that they missed after Team Seven left Wave and by the end of it, the Jonin group had a myriad of looks.

Kakashi looked oddly pleased that Naruto wasn't in Wave, as did Anko while Kurenai and Gai wore looks of surprise at the tale and Asuma seemed very annoyed by what he heard. "So...The Gaki fought you and then booked it? This tale is getting stranger and stranger," Anko said as she took a bite of her orange cotton candy.

"Yes. Though I do feel insulted that you busted out some moves I never saw during our bout," Kakashi said with a mock look of disappointment on his face.

Zabuza chuckled and said "You damaged my arms quite a bit so I couldn't exactly bust those moves out. I will make sure when we have our rematch to show all of my moves."

Kakashi smirked beneath his mask and replied "You have yourself a deal." Kakashi then let the smirk fall from his face as he then said "But in the meantime, that leaves us kind of in a rough spot. We were sent to hunt Naruto down."

Zabuza chuckled and leaned back on the couch and said "I'm surprised that they have you in this team Kakashi. I overheard your conversation with the Gaki about finding his own path and whatnot."

"It's not by my choice I am here. If it was up to me, I would let him find himself but per orders of the Hokage," Kakashi muttered out in annoyance, drawing Zabuza's sympathy.

"Kages...who needs them?" Zabuza asked as he raised his tea cup, which made Kakashi snort and tap his own teacup before the two drank it down.

"Um guys, I don't know what kind of weird friendship this is but we have more pressing concerns," Kurenai told the two, who gave her a look. "We still have to find Naruto and bring him back."

"Well, if you're searching for them, My best bet is going to the village nearby this one. Hisako. Never been there but it's about a two day travel. Knowing my daughter, she would need a bath and some place to relax for a spell so I say go there," Zabuza told the group as Tsunami came and poured him another glass of tea.

"Thank you woman," Zabuza grunted out but Kakashi could hear the hint of affection in his voice.

Tsunami gave him a bright smile with reddened cheeks before she said "But not now. It is nightfall and the village is preparing a feast in honor of Uzumaki. You all are welcome to stay here tonight."

"What? He gets a damn feast after him?" Asuma asked in surprise.

"There is an entire festival going on for him," Anko countered. "You think a feast is going to far? You have little kids wearing his jacket for Kami's sake."

"We'd be honored," Kakashi responded with a smile, interrupting Asuma from continuing his rant.

"Good. Zabuza-kun, we should get ready for the feast," Tsunami told the nuke-nin, who nodded with an amused smirk beneath his bandaged mask and motioned for her to go.

Tsunami gave him a bright smile and walked out of the room and the moment she did, Kakashi turned to Zabuza and gave him a smirk and asked "So when did that happen?"

"It's an ongoing development," Zabuza muttered, keeping it at that. "Now come, grab your runts so we can get on to the feast," Zabuza ordered before he rose from his seat and left the room to get himself ready for the feast.

Kakashi nodded and stood up as well and said to the other Jōnin "Let's go find our group."

Just then, Kiba came into the room with Hinata in his hands with Shino in tow and in unison, the two shouted "Hinata collapsed!"

* * *

 _ **Unknown Location**_  
 _ **Uzumaki Naruto**_

"We found the exit boss."

Naruto's eyes snapped open at the clone's words. Since the clones had left, Naruto had spent the majority of his time meditating to soothe his troubled soul after Hisako invaded it sometime earlier.

Naruto stood up and looked as his clone and said "I thought I told you to dispel yourself."

"You did but I was instructed not to," The clone replied, his face troubled.

"By whose authority?" Naruto asked.

The clone then let a smile appear on its face as its blue eyes changed into an orange-red color before it grabbed Naruto by the collar and said "By the order of me, The Kyūbi no Kitsune..."

Suddenly, Naruto felt a large burst of chakra swirl around him as he zipped through the winding trail of the cave until he found himself standing in a destroyed shack and right before him was the fierce Kyūbi no Kitsune, eyes red with bloodlust and rage above them, trapped beneath chains with her arm stretched out and a few inches in front of him was a sight he had never seen before.

Standing chest to back was someone Naruto knew instantly. The white cloak with flames rising from the bottom of it. Standard Shinobi gear, bright uncontrollable blond hair held up by his Hiate-Ite and the standard shinobi gear.

Naruto was staring at the Yondaime Hokage but he wasn't alone.

Against the Hokage's chest was a woman with long scarlet red hair, a white collared shirt with a green dress that fell down to her ankles above it and coming out from her back were yellow chains that seemed made from chakra.

Along with the Kyūbi's long nail piercing the both of them.

"What am I looking at here?" Naruto asked himself before he noticed a small bundle a few inches away. From his position, Naruto easily saw what the bundle was and felt his heart stop.

The bundle was a baby with bright blond hair that matched the Yondaime's and while there were no whisker marks on the cheeks, Naruto knew in his heart that the baby was himself.

Realization began to overcome as he looked back at the Yondaime and the woman.

It couldn't be...This was impossible...

It was then he saw the woman's lips move and say "L-Listen to me, my beautiful b-baby boy...Don't be a fussy eater...Eat a lot and grow up to be a big b-boy...Take you bath everyday...G-G to bed early and sleep well..." The woman then spat out blood, which made some dribble down her chin.

"Make sure you listen to the teachers...at the academy and study your ninjutsu...I was never very good at it, maybe you w-will be...but d-don't freat if you aren't...Everyone has things they're good at and things they're not...don't feel b-bad if you can't do it a-all..."

Naruto watched as the woman lowered her head and noticed something falling from her eyes...They were tears..."I-It doesn't matter how many...Make f-friends. Just make sure they're real f-friends, people you can trust...even a few is enough!"

Naruto watched as she whipped her head up and said "And as for women...Well, I'm a woman so I don't know what to s-say but there are only m-men and woman in this world, and you'll want a g-girlfriend someday...Just try not to p-pick a weird one, try to find someone like your m-mother."

Naruto saw the Yondaime wheeze out a chuckle with a pained grin as on his face, tears falling from his eyes. "Save what you e-earn from missions...no drinking alcohol until you're twenty and don't overdo it o-or you'll ruin your body...A-And remember something else! Avoid the three vices of shinobi...D-Don't borrow money if you can help it..."

"W-Which means watch out for Jiraiya-sensei," The Yondaime wheezed out, which made the woman laugh sweetly, despite the agony she was in before more tears fell down her eyes, her breath quickening.

Naruto could hear that she was inching closer and closer to death and whispered "N-No," as he stood up and walked to the woman, his body fading through the nail of the raging Kitsune and he touched her cheeks with both hands, tears falling from his eyes.

"P-Please...don't die," Naruto told her softly. "Mom...I...Please..."

Kushina's eyes seemed so unfocused but for a split second, Naruto thought that she looked into his eyes as she said "...N-Naruto...You're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering...But when you get lost and find yourself questioning everything...r-remember who you are! Find a-a goal...A dream and don't stop trying until it comes true!"

The woman let out a tearful sob as more tears fell from her eyes and had she seen it, she would have saw Naruto's own tears fall from his own eyes. "There's so much more that I-I want to say...To teach you about...I want to stay with you...I love you..."

"I-I love you too..." Naruto stammered out as he watched her sob openly at the tragedy that had befallen their little family.

"I'm sorry Minato-kun...I took up all our time..." She cried out but the Yondaime wrapped a single arm around her and held her as close as possible and kissed her bare shoulder, blood seeping down his face.

"I-It's ok...Naruto...This is your father...My words are the same...Just listen to your motor mouth mother," Minato said softly with a grin on his face, which made her laugh weakly.

"Y-You ass..." She whimpered out but it was then both she and Naruto looked to see Minato with a heartbroken expression on his face but she turned as best as she could and rested the back of her palm against his face, which made the Yondaime look at her.

"Don't look so sad Mi-Minato-kun...I'm happy that you loved me...Happy that it's..." Her voice shook in pain as her eyes locked onto the small bundle that rested a few feet away on the ground.

"Happy that it's our son's birthday..." She continued as tears streamed down her face. Naruto could hear the enraged shout of the Kyūbi in the distance. "Like...If I try to imagine surviving and the three of us...l-living together...I can't thinkg of anything beyond 'I'd be so happy.' but if I had any regrets...It would be that I won't see Naruto grow up..."

And just as the woman finished those words, the area around Naruto began to waver, which made him shout "No!" before he found himself in a large ballroom, with slick wooden flooring and crimson drapes hanging in front of the large window panes on both sides of him.

Naruto lowered his head as he wiped tears from his eyes.

In his past life, his first father was a cold hearted man who only cared about the Shirai Ryu's goals and nothing else while his mother had died in child birth so he had never experienced having parents that cared and in this life, it was much of the same...Until now...

His parents...They had loved him...They didn't know about him being a past Revenant or the horrible things he had done. All they knew was that he was their son and that was all that mattered to them...

 **"They sacrificed their lives to save you,"** a voice said from behind him. **"To save the village from my blind anger...Despite how it ended, I was sealed within her. I saw her at her best and worst...She treated me as if I was human and I grew to care for her..."**

Naruto turned around and saw a orange-red eyed woman with three whisker marks on both cheeks that looked to be in her mid-20's with a large crimson colored 1850's victorian era dress that had what look like nine black tails etched into the dress, with silk gloves that went up to her elbows, her blonde hair fell down her shoulders as two long bangs that shaped the sides of her face.

There was a certain elegance to the woman and Naruto admittedly found her very beautiful but he knew exactly who she was and remained on guard.

The woman turned to his clone, who stood at the entrance of the ballroom and said **"Thank you for bringing him to me."**

Naruto looked back at his clone, who bowed before disappearing in a crimson flash and it was then he got its memories.

The clone had found the ballroom but before he could return, crimson chakra had swarmed around him and then the image stopped. She had taken control of his clone...Nearly the same way Hisako had nearly took control of him.

 **"So we finally meet,"** the woman said, her voice sounding regal, as if she was queen talking to one of her knights. The woman then circled him and said **"I can certainly feel the power you possess, my container. Kushina and Minato would be proud of how strong you have become."**

"Minato...Kushina..." Naruto whispered softly.

 **"Your parents...The very same ones that you saw when you arrived here,"** The Kyūbi told him as she gave him smile.

"H-How?" Naruto could only ask.

 **"That came from my memories before I was re-sealed,"** She explained softly, regret clinging to her words.

"I see..." Naruto responded softly. "All of my life, I always wanted to know who they were...If they ever loved me but seeing that...Shows me that they did...I don't know why you showed me this but thank you Kyūbi."

 **"You don't need to thank me...Consider this the first step in my apology..."** Kyūbi responded softly.

"Apology?" Naruto asked her curiously.

Why was she apologizing?

Kyūbi crossed her arms and looked at the ceiling and said **"From the moment I was sealed into your body, I have lived in isolation, nothing but my own thoughts to keep me company...I was surrounded by feelings of hate that I had for you and your parents for trapping me in this hell. For keeping me locked away in this cell for something I had no control of..."**

She paused and looked down at him and then said **"For the past thirteen years, all I saw was hate...But then your mission to Wave happened. I saw your past life. Every single moment. I realized that we were the same. We were both enslaved by those weaker than us and in turn, it caused us to be driven by our anger, letting it tear our lives asunder."**

 **"After this realization I went back and rewatched your memories that your life now is just as bleak...You were just a lonely boy that wanted friends but all you got was scorn from not only those outside in the world but within you as well..."** Kyūbi then let out a sigh and added on **"I could have been there to help you throughout the constant mental and sometimes physical abuse you went through instead of letting you go through it alone."**

"I see..." Naruto said, clearly surprised by this turn of events. Out of everything that he thought would happen from his meeting with the kitsune, the Kyūbi apologizing and feeling guilt was the last thing he expected.

And he couldn't explain why but he heard the truth in her words. She was sincere in her guilt and her apology and not to mention, she had given him something he had never known.

His mother and father.

She may have been responsible for their deaths, which she was upfront about, but she gave him something no one else had and he was thankful for that but there was something that was bothering him.

"Did anyone else know about this?" Naruto asked the Kyūbi softly. The woman stared at him for a moment before she nodded her head, which made Naruto narrow his eyes in anger and asked "Who?"

 **"Your Sandaime Hokage knows,"** The Kyūbi replied, which made Naruto actually gasp. The Sandaime, the old man in the Kage seat that he saw as a grandfather had always told him that he didn't know who his parents were and yet, he lied.

She seemed disgusted from the tone Naruto heard but he didn't respond.

Instead, he remained silent as unbridled fury coarsed through his veins. Naruto had realized long ago that he would never know who his parents were due to the Sandaime remaining ignorant about it but to find out that he knew about his parents and was told as much from the Kyūbi herself, the one who had killed them had made something snap within him,

Flames exploded around him sporadically as the blond shinobi let out a growl full with fury, his blue irises changing into fiery red. **"** Not only did that old fool know who my parents were, he lied and said they were no named shinobi?!" an aura of flames circling the shinobi's body, causing an outline of fire to appear around his form.

The ground behind him began to crack until a pillar of hellfire exploded from the cracks and into the air, where a rain of fire fell around the two.

 _ **"For thirteen years, I begged and pleaded for any sort ofinformation about my parents and the old man said that there was no information! I trusted him and this is how he repays me?! By hiding the truth from me?!"**_ Naruto raged as particles of fire that fell from the sky paused around him and exploded as the fiery aura increased, another two pillars of hellfire exploding from the ground beside him.

He could quickly feel his power building to the level it had been when he battled Han on the bridge but then it began to climb past that level.

 _ **"Every night I wept not know who they were and if they gave a damn about me and he knew what I wanted and yet he decieved me, the one who he saw as his Grandson!"**_ Naruto shouted as more pillars of fire exploded from behind him, his blond hair burst into flames, his tan skin become cracked, wisps of fire coming from beneath the cracks.

 _ **"I will make him pay!"**_ Naruto wailed as several cracks appeared on his face, more flames bursting from the cracks until bites and pieces of his face began to fall off, revealing bone white beneath the skin, his fiery red irises whiting over.

The level that his power sat now had eclipsed what it was when he had battled the Container of the Gobi but it was too much. The power and the rage that accompanied it. He could hear Kenshin's voice came barging into his mind with _"You must calm down. You are no longer a Revenant. If you continue to let your hellfire burn to this extreme, you risk destroying your soul! You must calm down before it overwhelms you!"_

 _'Revenant...'_ Naruto thought, that word causing his anger to stop almost immediately. Is that what this unchained anger was leading him to? To burn his soul away? Sure, the sheer amount of power he had was purely amazing but at the risk of his soul...

Naruto shut his eyes and began the mental excerise that Kenshin had taught him to regain control of his anger. All he had to do was think about the positive emotions that he had in his lifeitme.

Time with his son and his wife, his apprentice Takahashi Takeda and his girlfriend Jaquline Briggs, Kenshin, Haku, Kotoha, Tazuna, Inari, Tsunami and the people of Wave, Kakashi, Sakura...Old man Ichikaru and his daughter, Iruka...He had to focus on the good things.

He could feel the struggle of the hellfire being reigned into control but after what seemed like hours, the flames began to die and Naruto's fiery red eyes faded into the ocean blues, the cracks in his face fading away, leaving his skin flawless once more.

Naruto fell onto one knee and panted heavily, wisps of smoke rising from his body and the area around him.

He should have realized that betrayal can come easy in life and knew that first hand thanks to Quan-Chi in his first life and Mizuki in this one. Hell, deception was a shinobi's best friend but Naruto still felt the venomous taste of betrayal still filled his mouth.

Suddenly, Naruto felt his body being lifted up and in front of him was the Kyūbi, who gave him a smile of approval and said **"That is the one thing we also have in common...Our rage is what strengthens us. The only true difference between you and I is that I can use my powers without anger guiding it while you must build off your anger to increase your power...which can destroy your soul if you build it too much."**

"So...My anger can be my strength but also my downfall...That is bizzare that I couldn't remember that..." Naruto muttered softly, feeling exhausted from forcing back the large amount of power just moments before.

 **"Considering the fact that you are struggling with both your identies, it makes sense as to why you would have forgotten which is why I told you,"** Kyūbi replied softly. **"From observing your battles, you fight with fierce determination without holding back but on the exception of that Jirōbō character, you haven't been fully enraged as you were on the bridge. You need to access the power that is behind your fury without succumbing to it and that is where I will come in."**

Kyūbi sat Naruto back on his two feet and summoned two clones that held her visage to hold him upright and said **"From this moment on, I will be the one to assist you in controlling your rage along with helping you any way I can. I may not be your Takahashi Kenshin but I have my ways."**

Naruto gave a wry smirk at the demon queen and said "Well, who knew a demon would be the one to help me regain control of my rage. That is surely amusing."

 **"Quite. To be honest, I figured that revealing the Sandaime's deception would bring such a reaction but to feel that power in person was very impressive,"** The Kyūbi retorted.

"So you knew that telling me would illicit such an reaction?" Naruto asked her in surprise.

 **"I did,"** The demon replied. **"From all that I saw, the biggest thing you despise are liars. Quan-Chi used you as his personal assassin for years after your death and the death of the Shirai Ryu. When Raiden offered you the chance to regain your clan, your family, he made sure you didn't and to make matters worse, you killed an innocent man when it was him who killed your clan in the first place. So because of him, your clan fell, you were his servant, an innocent man died and became his servant as well and he made off with many more souls under his control. If anyone has a reason to hate deception anymore than I do, its you."**

The Kyūbi then walked to the blond shinobi and placed her hand on his shoulder and said **"I was used as a tool by an Uchiha not just once, but twice. Once against the Shodaime and the second against the Yondaime and his wife. Both times ending with me being sealed within an Uzumaki..."**

"So what is the end goal between us. I already forgive you for what has happened but I need to know," Naruto said to her after a moment of thought.

She had been truthful so far but he wanted to see if she would continue that trend.

Luckily, he had nothing to worry about because the Kyūbi replied with " **My goal is for us free. Free from being used as tools. Free from being decieved by those that we thought cared. If we are going to co-exist together, I do not want any lies between us and I don't want either one of us to be seen as the other's tool. Deception may be a shinobi's tool and some beings use others like puppets but I'm no shinobi and I'm sick of being a puppet. That is my endgame."**

Kyūbi held out her right hand to Naruto with a grin on her face. **"So what say you, Uzumaki Naruto? Do you agree to be my partner?"** She asked.

Naruto stared down at her hand for what seemed like a lifetime but he then grinned and clasped his hand with hers as he replied "What else can I say to that but yes?"

Kyūbi smiled and before she tilted her head to the ceiling and blinked twice before she looked down to Naruto and said **"Things are looking pretty hectic outside of your body so it's time for me to wake you up fully re-energized."**

With a nod to her clones, the two clones began to shine a bright red before becoming silhouettes which instantly melded on the left and right side of Naruto's body before meeting in the middle before fading away.

Naruto found himself standing on his own two feet, feeling 100% after whatever the Kyūbi had just done. "Wow, that works wonders. How did you-"

 **"My chakra can do many things other than destroy,"** The Kyūbi interrupted with a cool tone before she said **"Now go, thanks to that revenant girl, I was able to create a link so I can speak to you without sending you here. All you have to do is close your eyes and I'll do the rest So see you when you awaken."**

Naruto nodded and but before he could say another word, Kyūbi lifted up her right arm, crimson chakra swirling around and against her right hand and with a small wave from the demon, the crimson chakra flew from her hand and smashed into his chest, sending him flying backwards until he disappeared in a flash of red light.

* * *

 _ **Village of Hisako**_  
 _ **Hotel**_  
 _ **Uzumaki Naruto**_

Naruto opened his eyes and rose out of bed sharply, a burst of crimson chakra exploding around and said "Damn, there has got to be an easier way to dismiss me," as he rubbed the spot where he was hit by the crimson orb of chakra.

Naruto then looked around and noticed that the room he was in was dark with only the lone streetlight outside shining down against his bed. Naruto was alone in his hotel room. "Where did everyone go?" Naruto asked outloud.

 _ **"Thanks to our new link, I was able to hear everything that had occured between them. Long story short, Fū is the Jinchūriki for Chomei and she, Haku and Tayuya went to go battle the rest of Tayuya's former teammates but that was over an hour ago. If we speed up, we can catch up to them,"** _ Kyūbi replied.

Naruto nodded and threw off the covers and quickly got dressed into his shinobi attire before he leapt out the window and into the mist below and once he landed on the solid ground, he noticed that he had splashed into a puddle of blood.

It was then Naruto realized that the mist around him was blood red.

"Something has happened here..." Naruto noted as he gripped the hilt of his blade, small flame embers rising from the ground as he readied himself for anything that occured but then he heard it.

 _"Kienai Hisako, honoo-en no haka_ (Indelible Hisako, tomb of flame)  
 _Fukushū, fukushū no inori_ (Revenge, prayer of revenge)"

Seconds later, a male's scream reached his ears along with the sound of metal slicing the air. Naruto quickly brought his blade before him and swung it upwards, sending the katana that was thrown at him in the air but to his surprise, it vanished with a golden flash.

Seeing a flash of golden chakra beneath him, Naruto swung the blade downwards before the figure could manifest itself before him and said "Hisako, I do not have time for this."

The mist suddenly cleared up around him and when he glanced down, his eyes widened in surprise. all around him were the bodies of many Oto shinobi, all of the bearing sliced marks on various parts of their body.

But standing a few feet away from him was a familiar face.

"You're Kin..." Naruto muttered before he noticed her eyes.

Instead of the black eyes he knew Kin had, her eyes were a sickly white and she had on a wide grin, her skin sickly pale.

It was then Naruto knew it wasn't the girl he had met earlier.

He was staring at Hisako.

"You..." Naruto hissed out, anger filling his veins as memories of her invading his body played within his mind.

Hisako gave a wide grin as she raised her hand and caught the katana that Naruto had deflected moments before and said "You have awakened...Good...I shall rid of you before I kill the rest of those Oto invaders."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and said "I tried to help you but because of you being blinded by your hatred, you turned the one ally you had into your enemy and now you further anger me by using that kunoichi as your puppet!"

Hisako growled and pointed the katana to Naruto and said "I will do all I can to protect my village...You let damage come to it, it means you are no better than those that have raided it!"

 _Kemuri, kemuri no kioku_ (Smoke, the smoke of memory)  
 _Kienai Hisako, kienai urami_ (Indelible Hisako, indelible grudge)

Naruto narrowed his eyes, focusing solely on the body invader as he gripped his hilt tightly.

 _Fukushū, fukushū no inori_ (Revenge, prayer of revenge)  
 _Kienai Hisako, honoo-en no haka_ (Indelible Hisako, tomb of flame)

Hisako growled and dashed towards Naruto, her body flickering in and out of existance, her body appearing from left to right until she was before him. Naruto twisted his blade and clashed with her katana, causing a rain of sparks to shower them both.

 _Kienai Hisako, kienai urami_ (Indelible Hisako, indelible grudge)  
 _Kemuri, kemuri no kioku_ (Smoke, the smoke of memory)

Using the Kubikiri Hōchō, Naruto pushed the katana to the right side and slammed his left fist into her face, which made Hisako skid back but she quickly flicked to his left and swung her katana downwards but Naruto disappeared with a burst of hellfire then reappeared behind her in the air and aimed a roundhouse kick to her head but Hisako flickered away.

 _Kienai Hisako-_ (Indelible Hisako-)

Naruto landed on the ground and swung his Kubikiri Hōchō behind him and blocked a strike aimed at his head before he summoned a clone, who appeared to the right of Hisako and slammed his right knee into her jaw, which sent her to the ground before she flickered out of existance.

 _Kienai Hisako, kienai urami_ (Indelible Hisako, indelible grudge)  
 _Gyakusatsu, gyakusatsu no higeki_ (Slaughter, massacre of tragedy)  
 _Kienai Hisako, hogosha_ (Indelible Hisako, our guardian)

Hisako appeared above him with her sword swinging downwards but Naruto blocked it with his blade before he pushed it up to force her back into the air before he stabbed the sword into the ground and shouted "Get over here!"

 _Ryūketsu, ryūketsu no gekido_ (Bloody, bloody rage)  
 _Sakebu, sakebu, hogosha_ (Cry, cry, our guardian)

With a thrust of his hand, a stream of hellfire slammed into her shoulder and cooled off to reveal his chain before he pulled her back down to deliever a drop kicked, with his feet covered in hellfire but Hisako flickered before the kick landed.

 _Ryūketsu, ryūketsu no gekido_ (Bloody, bloody rage)  
 _Kienai Hisako, kienai urami_ (Indelible Hisako, indelible grudge)

Naruto landed on the ground and flipped back up to his feet as Hisako flickered a few feet away from him with a scowl.

 _Kienai Hisako-_ (Indelible Hisako-)

Naruto rose to his feet and burst into hellfire then appeared to Hisako's left and aimed a punch to her face but Hisako dodged the punch by leaning back and kicked Naruto in the stomach, which sent him staggering backwards before he ducked a swing of the katana and then swayed to the left to avoid an upward swing and retaliated with an elbow to the face, which sent her backwards.

 _Kienai Hisako, kienai urami_ (Indelible Hisako, indelible grudge)  
 _Gyakusatsu, gyakusatsu no higeki_ (Slaughter, massacre of tragedy)

Hisako growled while Naruto smirked but just then, the sound of dozens of footsteps reached their ears. With a turn of their heads, several dozen Oto shinobi was sent coming from the mist towards them with a shout of rage.

 _Kienai Hisako, hogosha_ (Indelible Hisako, our guardian)  
 _Fukushū, fukushū no inori_ (Revenge, prayer of revenge)

* * *

Rain: And Part one of the finale of the Hisako arc is in the books. The final of the arc will focus on Naruto V Hisako as well as Haku, Fū and Tayuya as well a surprise guest. What did you think of the Kyūbi? Truth be told, I went this route because I hardly see guilty/redemption arc Kyūbi at all and figured this would be perfect chance to test it out. So let me know what you guys thought and I will see you next time!

Mario: See you next time!


	18. Chapter 18

Rain: And I am back with a brand new chapter of this awesome fic and this is the last chapter in the Hisako Arc so sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 **Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn**  
 **Chapter Eighteen: The Final Song! Angered Souls Collide (Part Two)**

 ** _ **Village of Hisako  
Downtown  
Uzumaki Naruto**_**

Naruto leapt into the air and slashed his blade straight down the middle of an Oto shinobi that was thrown in front of him by Hisako, who blocked his sword with a katana and kicked the two halves of the body towards Naruto.

Naruto smacked both sides of the dead shinobi away before he swung his blade around and decapitated five shinobi that were around and behind him before he thrust his right hand out and shouted "Get over here!" causing a strand of hellfire to fly straight through several Oto shinobi's heads in an effort to hook Hisako.

Hisako dashed to the side to avoid the hellfire before she flickered from left to right until she was in front of Naruto while she swung her katana at an upward angle.

Naruto switched out with a Oto kunoichi, who could barely let out an alarmed scream before the blade sliced from her left hip to her right shoulder, ending her life.

Naruto appeared behind Hisako and delivered a roundhouse kick to her head, which sent Hisako soaring into three Oto shinobi but before she could collide with them, she flickered out of existence, just as Naruto appeared before the three in a burst of hellfire in mid-swing of his blade, swiping through all three of the shinobi torsos.

"Damn it," Naruto hissed out before he stabbed the Kubikiri Hōchō into the ground and launched three hellfire imbued kunai towards Hisako, who had flickered in front of three Oto kunoichi but then flickered away again, causing the kunai pierce through the bodies of the kunoichi, causing them to explode into hellfire.

Hisako in front of him and kicked Naruto in the face with both feet, which sent him soaring backwards into a large group of shinobi, sending them all to the ground. Naruto flipped to his feet just as Hisako appeared before him with her katana coming down at him.

Naruto grabbed a shinobi rolled to the left, which made Hisako slice through the shinobi before she kicked the left side of the shinobi's body towards Naruto, who kicked it into the air and then ducked a swing of Hisako's blade, which cut the neck of the shinobi that had tried to sneak up on Naruto.

Naruto rose up and landed a solid uppercut to Hisako's chin, which made her soar into the air but she quickly grabbed the half of the body Naruto had kicked into the air before, twisted her body and slammed the halved body against Naruto, which sent him flying through a window of a bank.

Naruto growled but he let a smirk appear on his face.

"She's pretty tough...I can't believe I'm having fun fighting like this," Naruto said as he stood up on his two feet just as Hisako flickered into the room across from him.

Naruto took out two kunai and twirled one in his hand before he dashed forward, with Hisako flickering in and out of existence towards him until his kunai met her katana.

* * *

 **Village of Hisako  
Mayor's Mansion  
Tayuya**

"And here we are. Ou-Their base of operations," Tayuya noted as she crossed her arms, with Haku on her left and Fū on her right. The three kunoichi looked at the mansion with a frown on their faces, their clothes slightly torn in a few places due to the amount of Oto Shinobi that they had to fight to get to the mansion.

There would have been many more guarding the place but apparently, they were all told to rush to the village to kill a very powerful enemy that had killed their other shinobi. "You guys took over the Mayor's mansion..." Fū said softly as she turned her head to Tayuya.

"We did...No one survived," Tayuya responded with a sigh. "If it makes you feel any better, I opted to take them as hostages but my asshole of a former teammate Jirōbō got impatient and killed him."

"Good thing Naruto-kun killed him then," Haku said softly.

"What's done is done...Let's just get in there and kill the last three members of my former team," Tayuya said but just as she took a step forward, three kunai were thrown and embedded into the ground before her.

"So the traitorous bitch finally returns," a voice said from all around them.

"Let's skin her alive!" Another, more angered voice, said as well.

The three looked up to see Sakon standing on the roof of the mansion with his arms crossed, a sneer on his face.

"Tch, I'd like to see you try, freak," Tayuya spat out angrily before she looked to Fū and then Haku and said "You two go on ahead. I'll take the two headed freak up there."

"Are you sure?" Fū asked the Oto Nuke-Nin.

"Getting worried about me?" Tayuya asked teasingly before she became serious once again and said "Go, that cock sleeve for Orochimaru is going to be the toughest of them all. You both need to be at full strength."

Haku and Fū nodded and ran towards the mansion of Sakon leapt off the roof and yelled "Who gave you trash permission to proceed?!"

Seeing this, Tayuya leapt up into the air and met Sakon halfway and kicked the Oto shinobi back to the roof before she fell to the ground in a crouched position. "I did double bitch. I'm fighting you now!"

Sakon sneered down at her and said "I've been waiting for this for a long ass time..."

"Then ring the bell pussy and let's get it on!" Tayuya shouted.

"With pleasure!"

* * *

 ** _Village of Hisako  
Inside the Mayor's Mansion  
Fū and Momochi Haku_**

"This place smells like death," Fū noted with frown on her face after closing the door behind her and Haku. The two kunoichi could hear the battle Tayuya was having outside and they both hoped that she would be able to handle that guy on her own.

The two walked into the fairly large dark entrance way. Without warning, Kimimaro leapt down from the balcony above and landed between the two and punched Fū in the face before he twisted his body and aimed a fist at Haku's face but she leaned back to avoid it and slammed a knee into his gut but he didn't budge.

Fū then leapt up and kicked the back of Kimimaro's head, which caused his torso to lurch forward slightly. Kimimaro pushed away Haku's knee then forcefully pushed his head back to push Fū's leg away before he hunched forward and said "Yanagi no Mai (Willow Dance)."

Two bones suddenly sprouted out from both his wrists.

Haku pulled out a senbon and twirled it in her hand before she jabbed her hand forward to stab him in the neck but Kimimaro allowed the senbon to pierce his neck but then it broke off.

Kimimaro then rose his right arm sharply and swiped the bone blade at Haku but she dashed back to avoid it just as Fū kicked him square in the face but she quickly lifted her leg away to avoid the swipe of his bone with his other arm but she was not quick enough to avoid his elbow slamming into her stomach, sending her stumbling backwards.

Kimimaro quickly twisted around and said "Tsubaki no Mai (Camellia Dance)," as the bones that were sprouting out from his wrists slide free from them but he caught them in his hands, becoming bone swords and that was when he began to thrust both weapons at Haku.

Haku pulled out two kunai and used them to deflect the endless stabbing motions of the bone swords but she then noticed that his movements began to quicken and become more unpredictable. From what started as straight stabbings changed to wild angles that these bone swords were coming from.

Just then, the kunai in her right hand collided with his stabbing bone sword and shattered upon impact, which caused the bone blade to pierce her left shoulder, which caused her to gasp in pain but just as the other bone blade came from beneath the other to pierce her skull, Fū delivered a flying kick to Kimimaro's face, which sent him stumbling to the side while also sliding his blade bone out of Haku's shoulder.

Fū landed on the ground while Haku knelt and quickly performed several hand seals and shouted "Hyōton: Hyōryū no Jutsu!" Just then, an ice dragon shot out from her hand and flew towards Kimimaro, who instantly dashed to the side to avoid the ice dragon.

He then pointed his ten finger at the pair and said "Teshi Sendan (Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets)."

Both Haku and Fū leapt away to avoid the bone bullets, with Haku leaping right and Fū leaping left Fū slide to the side and performed several seals then shouted "Hiden: Rinpungakure no Jutsu (Hiden: Hiding in Scale Powder Technique)!" She then exhaled long and hard, which caused a fine powder which began to shine so brightly that Kimimaro was blinded by it.

Seeing this, Haku quickly formed several seals and once again shouted "Hyōton: Hyōryū no Jutsu!"

Another ice dragon appeared but this time, Kimimaro was unable to dodged it due to being blind and took the attack head on, which caused both him and the dragon to fly out of the large hole that the previous dragon had made.

Fū looked to Haku, who held her shoulder and quickly formed another set of seals then said "Chakura no Ito: Hīringu Kumonosu (Chakra threads: Healing Web)!" Fū then lifted her arm and pointed her hand and light green webbing flew from her wrist and landed against Haku's wounded shoulder until it was covered.

Haku could feel her shoulder being healed immediately from the light green webbing and when the colored faded, Haku pulled the webbing off and she was completely healed. "Thank you Fū-chan," Haku said with a small smile.

Fū nodded and replied "No problem Haku-chan...But he's coming back..." Fū then took off the red bag that was on her back and pulled out two Kodachi from it and tossed them to Haku, who instantly caught them.

Fū then pulled out two spears and twirled it before Kimimaro came charging forward through the hole towards the two. Haku dashed forward to meet him and quickly blocked a swing of his bone sword with both Kodachi then Fū thrust the blade of her spear towards his head.

Kimimaro leaned back to avoid the spear but Haku slammed her shoulder against Kimimaro's chest, which made him stumble, which gave her a chance to roll behind Fū, who began to thrust both spears in a stabbing motion repeatedly.

Kimimaro deflected the spearheads with his own bone blades but when Fū pulled back both spears, Haku rolled in front of her from the right and thrust her blades forward in a stabbing motion repeatedly and much quicker than Fū.

Kimimaro used his blades to deflect Haku's then without warning, Fū leapt over Haku and stabbed Kimimaro in the forehead with one of the spears but thanks to thickening his bone, the metal cracked and shattered upon impact with his skull but blood still fell from the wound.

Fū landed in front of Haku and spun her spear behind her back while crouched forward before she rose up and smacked Kimimaro in the face with the spearhead, which caused huge gash to appear in his cheek but it was then she saw bone beneath the blood the spilled from the wound.

Haku then rolled in front of Fū from the left this time and rose up sharply and sliced against his chest but like the spear before, the blades shattered due to connecting with the bone but now Kimimaro had to long gashes on his chest.

Kimimaro stumbled backwards and Fū took the chance to pull back her spear and then thrust it forward and to try and stab him in the neck but Kimimaro managed to slash the spear in half with his bone sword before it could reach his throat.

But what Kimimaro didn't realize was that he stepped back and there was large puddles of water due to the melted ice from the two dragons, which made Haku quickly form several jutsu and then shout "Hyōton: Makyō Hyōshō!"

Several ice mirrors then rose from the melted puddles and soon, Kimimaro found himself surrounded by the mirrors. He looked around him to notice that his replicas in the mirror did the same before his image disappeared in one mirror only for Haku's image to appear.

Soon, Haku's image began to appear in all of the mirrors, all of them holding kunai in their right hands. "Demonic Ice mirrors," Kimimaro murmured softly, his eyes narrowed. Just then the kunai began to rain all around him.

"Karamatsu no Mai (Dance of the Larch)," Kimimaro said before he lurched forward and several bones came spurting out from his body. He then began to spin rapidly, deflecting the kunai that had come his way.

But once the kunai rain ended, he then shouted "Teshi Sendan!" while he still spun at a rapid pace. Haku's eyes widened as the bone bullets shot out towards the mirrors, She quickly dashed from one mirror to another to avoid the bullets, which pierced and then destroyed the mirrors they struck.

Haku managed to get to a mirror behind Kimimaro and seeing this through the remains of the dome, Fū quickly formed several seals and then shouted "Chakura no Ito: Mōjōrō (Chakra Thread: Net-Shaped Prison!) She then lunged both hands forward and chakra threads came out of them and began to entangle the spinning Kimimaro until he was trapped in webbing.

Haku flew from her mirror with her kunai and sliced at his throat but to her horror, the kunai shattered upon impact and through the blood, she saw bone. Seconds later, bone spikes exploded from the webbing, freeing Kimimaro from his prison and with a burst of speed, Kimimaro grabbed Haku's ankle and swung her back while his lunged his right arm forward and ran his bone sword through her chest.

"Haku!" Fū shouted in horror as she dashed to Kimimaro and slammed her fist into his face, which sent him flying backwards as he let go of Haku's ankle and the hilt of his bone sword.

Haku fell to the ground and laid there, unmoving as blood seeped from her wound.

"Haku-chan!" Fū yelled as she knelt in front of Haku and pulled the blade from Haku's chest and removed her top, leaving it bare and quickly said "Chakura no Ito: Hīringu Kumonosu." glowing green web shot out from her and into her front wound and back wound.

The web glowed as the blood flow began to lessen.

"Come on..." Fū said before a hard fist slammed into her face.

* * *

 ** _ **Village of Hisako  
Mayor's mansion  
Tayuya**_**

Tayuya flew backwards from a blow to the chest by Sakon's three fists but thankfully, she managed to catch herself and skidded against the ground before she pulled out her flute and began to play it.

Seconds later, her three Doki leapt around her to protect her as she rose to her feet. "Go!" Tayuya ordered with a point. The three Doki instantly charged towards Sakon.

Kick Doki was the first one to meet Sakon and delivered a flying kick to Sakon but he ducked the kick before grabbing the leg and slamming the Doki to the ground sharply. Club Doki then swung his club at Sakon but Sakon jumped backwards to avoid the strike.

Spike Doki jumped after him and lunged his spiky right arm towards Sakon, who ducked the arm and punched the Doki in the stomach with three fists, which sent it flying backwards to the ground.

Tayuya lifted up her flute but without warning, Sakon appeared before her with a kunai in hand and sliced down.

Only having her flute, she used it to block the kunai but then the kunai sliced through the metal flute, which made the Doki disappear. Without warning, a third foot appeared and kicked Tayuya in the gut hard, which sent her sailing backwards to the ground hard, where she then skidded against it but she managed to flip herself to her feet.

"Damn it...My demonic flute..." Tayuya hissed out. Her Doki were now gone...

"Ha! Without your flute, you are nothing!" Sakon shouted before he dashed towards Tayuya and exclaimed "You're mine!"

' _I suppose its time to bust out my other flute then...'_ Tayuya thought with a growl. She reached behind her and pulled out a platinum blue flute and just as Sakon was near her, shouted "Oto Āto: Tsukinukeru (Sound Art: Pierce through)!" Before she blew a sharp tune from her flute.

Just as Sakon's fist was going to slam into her face, he felt something go through his right shoulder, which caused him to fly backwards due to the force he felt when he felt it go through his body.

Sakon managed to recover and landed on the ground, skidding on his two feet before he leaned forward and placed a hand to his right shoulder and felt blood seeping through his fingertips. He looked at Tayuya in alarm as she laughed.

Sakon scowled and dashed forward to her again and aimed a punch at her face but Tayuya shouted "Oto Āto: Hādo Shougeki (Sound Art: Hard Impact) before playing a rough tone on her flute, which caused Sakon to feel something as hard as a sledgehammer hit his face.

Sakon slammed to the ground and skidded backwards before he flipped to his feet and dashed towards Tayuya again, this time coming from the side but then Tayuya realized something...Sakon only had one head.

Tayuya was confused for a moment but then a right hand slammed into her jaw, which caused her head to whip to the side sharply. She slammed into the ground but she then flipped onto her feet and saw Ukon, separated from Sakon's body.

Tayuya jumped up to avoid Sakon's tackle but Ukon appeared before her and made an effort to tackle her out of the air but she quickly played a quick tune and said "Oto Āto: Furikkā (Sound Art: Flicker)," before she flickered out of existence.

Tayuya appeared a few feet away from the two brothers, who quickly combined back into one being and the two stared at each other. "So...You were hiding a few techniques..." Sakon hissed out in anger.

Tayuya smirked "We all have secrets cock guzzler...Just like seeing your piece of shit brother seperate from your body."

Sakon growled in anger at the disrespect she had just shown Ukon.

"Just because I depended on my demon flute...Doesn't mean I am powerless without it..." Tayuya then held up her flute and said "This is my true source of power...And with it, your pansy ass can't beat me."

Tayuya then chuckled and said "I should thank the cock sleeve in there. I never liked being under that pedophile and I thank Kami he never sealed me with his hickey so I truly am free from him," Tayuya then reached up and removed the purple belt around her and then her cloak as well, leaving her in black skin tight shirt and shorts.

"So my little shitty friend, allow me to reintroduce myself, I am no longer Hokumon no Tayuya (Tayuya of the North Gate). I am Yasai no Tayuya (Tayuya of the Wild) and I'm going to beat your ass into submission. All with my sound of violence."

Sakon sneered and said "Cute speech but your flute change won't save you now...Not after I do this!" Sakon moved his hand across his bang to reveal three circles that were in a triangle and smirked as it began to glow a sickly purple before it began to spread across their entire body in a pattern of curved lines and blotches until it faded away to black.

"Cursed seal number one," Sakon hissed out, his voice slightly rougher before he dashed forward at a quicker pace and just as he leapt towards her, Ukon split from his body as well, both of their arms cocked back to strike her.

Tayuya placed the flute to her mouth and placed a rough, quick tune and just as the two lunged their arms forward to strike her, their fists slammed against the orb of chakra that formed around her. "Oto Āto: Hanekaeru (Sound Art: Rebound)!"

The chakra then forced itself back sharply, causing the two brothers to fly backwards high into the air. Tayuya then played a sharp tone and the orb of chakra that had changed into small needles "Oto Āto: Tsukinukeru!" she shouted.

The needles quickly darted to the two brothers. Ukon and Sakon pushed off each other to avoid the attack so while Ukon crashed into the ground hard, Sakon went further into the air. Tayuya then looked to Ukon and began to play a rougher tone then shouted "Oto Āto: Hādo Shougeki!"

Ukon rose to his feet and felt a hard impact slam into his face, which sent his body grinding and bouncing backwards towards the mansion.

Sakon dashed towards Tayuya and aimed a fist down to her face but she leaned back to avoid the fist, which made Sakon sail past her and into the ground where he bounced up and dashed towards her.

Tayuya turned around and avoided his many punches while playing her flute and when she ducked, she shouted "Oto Āto: Hādo Shougeki!" which sent Sakon high into the air due to the hard blow that had struck his stomach.

Tayuya heard a roar of anger come from behind her and she was nailed in the face by Ukon's right fist, which caused her to crash to the ground but she quickly got up to avoid the kick to the face but was kicked in the gut, which made her stagger backwards into Sakon, who wrapped his arms around her body.

"Gotcha bitch!" Sakon hissed out as Ukon ran forward punched Tayuya in the face with his right fist then his left fist but she lifted up her feet and kicked him in the chest hard enough that it made not only Ukon fall backwards to the ground but it made Sakon stumble and fall backwards as well, which loosened his hold on Tayuya, who rolled over her opponent's body and onto her feet.

Tayuya then dashed backwards while playing a long, rough tune before she said "Oto Āto: Fōsu Shūha (Sound Art: Force Wave)!" a powerful wave of chakra slammed into Sakon and Ukon's body, which caused the two to grind against the ground before the two rose off and headed towards the mansion, just as an ice dragon exploded from the side of the mansion and swallowed the two whole.

"Whoa..." Tayuya said in surprise as she watched the ice dragon smash through another building before it went off the cliff at a downward angle, taking the two out of the fight. "I wasn't expecting that tag team action...I better get in there to help them."

Tayuya then ran to the mansion as another ice dragon exploded from the building and ran quicker when she heard Fū shout out "Haku-chan!" and when she busted through the door, She saw Fū trying to fend off the quick stabbing motions of Kimimaro.

She could see Fū keeping up but as he always does, his movements began to become more unpredictable and soon, deep gashes began to appear on her body.

"Fū, get the fuck back!" Tayuya shouted before she began a rough tone on her flute then shouted "Oto Āto: Fōsu Shūha!" Kimimaro looked to Tayuya just before he was sent crashing through the wall beside him due to the hard blow of chakra to the face.

Fū fell to one knee as blood dripped down the various wounds that was on her arms, shoulders and her right cheek as Tayuya ran to her and knelt beside her and asked "Are you ok? Where is Haku? What happened?"

"Haku-chan was hit. She's been down since..." Fū said as she gritted her teeth in pain.

"Shit...Do you know a healing Jutsu?" Tayuya asked.

Fū smirked and said "Give me a bit and I'll be back in order but I need to heal Haku more...She was ran through by his blade," Fū said.

Tayuya stood up and glanced through the large hole her attack had made and saw the rubble beginning to move and said "I'll hold him back then as along as I can. Heal Haku and then join me in finishing this fucker."

But inwardly, Tayuya was very scared by this encounter. Kimimaro was the strongest of all of the Sound Five at his base form and he hadn't even stepped into his first or second level of his cursed form so she knew that three of them wouldn't be enough to take out the shinobi.

The only one she could think of that could wreck his shit was Naruto but he was indisposed of right now...

 _'Welp...Here we go...'_ Tayuya thought as she watched Kimimaro rise up from the rubble slowly.

* * *

 ** _Village of Hisako  
Downtown Hisako  
Uzumaki Naruto_**

The battle between Hisako, himself and the Oto Shinobi had been going on for what seemed like hours but Naruto was now getting the upper hand on both enemies. "Come here!" Naruto shouted as his chain pierced through the head of a Oto shinobi.

The shinobi screamed as hellfire burned at the skin until there was a skeleton in its place and with a hard tug, the head of the shinobi along with the spine was ripped from the body and came straight towards Naruto. Naruto grabbed the spine, twisted his body and slammed the head against Hisako's head, causing her head to snap down.

He then swung the skull upwards and slammed it up against her face, not only whipping her head up, but also shattering the skull into pieces.

Just then, a sense of dread filled Naruto's being as he raised his blade into the air. _'Something is wrong!'_ Naruto thought as he sliced through an Oto shinobi to get to Hisako with the Kubikiri Hōchō , who flickered away just seconds before.

 _'Something is wrong...I need to get to Haku...'_ Naruto thought to himself but as he started to run, Hisako flickered in front of him in an attempt to slash at him but Naruto blocked the blade and said "Get out of my way!"

"You will not escape!" Hisako yelled out.

Naruto hissed in anger and pushed the blade away and slammed his forehead against hers, which caused Hisako to stagger back. Naruto then swung his body and sliced downwards but Hisako flickered out of existence just as the blade was going to meet her body.

Naruto swore and looked around for a moment as Hisako's laughter echoed around him.

He had to get to her as fast as possible but the more he fought her, the more she kept at it. He had to end this but in a different way...Naruto placed his blade on his shoulder and shouted "I'm done with this battle!"

Hisako flickered into view a few feet away from him and hissed out "What?"

"I'm done," Naruto repeated with a growl. "This battle between us is pointless and it's only wasting energy for me. I will no longer entertain your rage."

"You dare act as if you're better than me?!" Hisako roared out in anger. "You?! The very same warrior who sacrificed a chance to see his family again due to his anger?!"

"And I regret it," Naruto responded softly. "My anger caused a lot of things to happen in my life. Endless years of torture...of agony...of remorse...I did many things to fuel my anger. So much so that my power hinges on it but it can destroy me..."

Naruto walked towards Hisako, who took a step back, her body tense as if she was expecting a strike but instead, Naruto placed a hand on her head, which shocked her greatly. "I know that what happened to you was cruel and I am truly sorry for what you had to endure and I can understand the anger you feel towards Oto for attacking here but had done nothing to earn your ire and yet, you invaded me and fought me...But I forgive you."

"F-Forgive me?" Hisako repeated softly.

"I do...You have been driven by your anger for so long, its the only thing you know...The same that I was so long ago. But it is time to let it go...Let go of your anger because with that, it will give you more power than you can ever know," Naruto finished before he walked away but then he stopped when he heard her voice.

"H-How do you know this?" Hisako asked softly.

Naruto turned his head and said "I found someone worth fighting for," before he continued to walk away.

* * *

 ** _ **Village of Hisako  
Downtown Hisako  
Hisako**_**

Hisako watched as Naruto walked away from their battle a confused woman.

The person, who survived the lakes of hellfire of the Netherrealm due to his hatred had just preached to her about peace.

She had been created through the means of hate when she found her father and her family, slain by the boy she had mocked before.

Hate and anger was all she knew.

How could she let go of it?

How could he let go of it?

"I...do not understand," she whispered to herself as she looked up at the sky above. "Am I wrong to have been driven by hate and rage for all these centuries? Is that why I am tied to the Naginata? The tool of my anger, my despair?"

"That is right, my daughter," an otherworldly voice from above said softly.

Suddenly, Hisako's soul was ripped from Kin's body, which caused Kin to fall onto the ground unconscious.

Hisako looked back at Kin's body in surprise before she felt a warm light warming her face. She turned around and saw a man garbed in samurai armor, a a gray beard and a bald head with a scar stretching down the left side of the front of his face.

Hisako gazed at the man in confusion at his appearance while the man looked at her mournfully and murmured "Has it been so long that you forget what your father looks like?"

Hisako wanted to deny this and tell him that she remembered him but...she didn't.

She didn't remember who he was at all.

"You are my father?" She asked softly, the smog of rage ebbing away as slow realization formed on her face. "You are my father..." She whispered as tears built up in her eyes. Her father lowered himself to the ground and opened his arms and Hisako rushed into them as she shouted "Father!"

"I am here my child," She heard him whisper as she clung to him for all she was worth, his hands resting at her back.

* * *

 **Village of Hisako  
Mayor's Mansion  
Uzumaki Naruto**

Naruto found himself at the mayor's mansion after a clone he had summoned found the mansion and managed to catch a hint of the battle until a bone bullet destroyed the clone.

Naruto dashed through the large open space area but without warning, he felt himself being forced off of his feet by an wave of crimson and regular chakra while the front of the mansion exploded , with Kimimaro flying out of the mansion as well.

Naruto swung his hand forward and let his strand of hellfire slam into the ground before pulling himself by the chain back to the ground while Kimimaro flew farther behind him.

When the shockwave was done, he looked up to Tayuya and Fū panting heavily, with the former holding her flute in her mouth while the latter had red chakra flowing from her body, her eyes glowing crimson.

"Take that you basta..." Tayuya began but she began to wobble back and forth then fell forward, unconscious, her flute rolling down the cracked steps of the destroyed steps. Fū fell backwards onto her back and panted heavily.

Naruto ran to Tayuya and checked her pulse.

She was alive.

He ran to Fū and exclaimed "Fū, are you alright?! Where is Haku?!" but Fū was out cold. He could see various deep wounds against her body slowly begin to close up.

 **"That is Chōmei's chakra,"** Kyūbi said as Naruto paused.

 _'Chōmei?'_ Naruto repeated.

 **"The Nanabi. So this is who he was sealed in...How tragic. One of the kind ones,"** The Kyūbi said with a disappointed tone in her voice.

"S-She's...Unconscious...Was ran through by Kimi..." Fū shut her eyes, falling unconscious.

"No..." Naruto whispered before he looked up to see Haku's unconscious form a few feet away. Naruto ran to Haku and said "Haku, come on wake up..." He could see that Haku was breathing but it was so shallow that he was afraid that it could stop any second.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see a figure standing in the distance, which made him turn around to see, who he assumed was the one that the three were battling. He looked to Haku and brought his forehead against hers and said "Hang on. I'll be back soon..."

He then stood and pulled out his blade and walked past the unconscious forms of Fū and Tayuya and asked the albino shinobi "Was this your doing?"

Kimimaro looked to the unconscious kunoichi then to Haku and said "I did. They were very powerful but not enough to withstand my might."

"A pity...You should have let them kill you," Naruto said ominously as he stabbed his blade into the wooden floor beneath him. "Because I will make you weep for the mercy of a quick death!"

With his shout, a large burst of hellfire exploded around him, the flames stopping just before they touched Tayuya and Fū. Kimimaro's eyes widened slightly at the sheer amount of power the came from the shinobi and said "You are the one that has been causing us trouble and killing our men...I will not waste my time with you in my current state. Cursed Seal, Level two."

Slowly, glowing red and orange lines covered his body then expanded until his entire form was glowing and with burst of chakra, Kimimaro had taken on dinosaur-like appearance with six large bone spines protruding out of his back, a long bone-spiked tail .

He also had dark gray skin, dark black eye sclerae, yellow eye irises, sharp teeth, and two dark black curved like markings under his eyes — one under each eye and two as elongated eyebrows — one above each eye.

"Now..." Kimimaro began, his voice rougher than before. "Let us begin."

Naruto kicked off the ground and flew towards Kimimaro and kneed Kimimaro in the face, which caused the Oto shinobi to bend backwards from the blow, his feet skidding against the ground before he bent back just enough for Naruto to sail past him.

Naruto flew to the ground and skidded on one foot before dashed forward but Kimimaro turned around and swung his arm in an attempt to strike Naruto but he flickered before the arm touched him the appeared behind him in the air and slammed his right foot against Kimimaro's face, causing his head to whip back sharply.

Naruto landed on the ground in a crouch as hellfire covered his right leg and when Kimimaro whipped his head forward, Naruto rose up and slammed his hellfire covered knee against Kimimaro's face, causing Kimimaro to whip his entire body back until he was on one foot.

Naruto landed on the ground and took a step forward, cocked his left arm back as hellfire swirled around his left fist before her whipped his arm forward and slammed his fist into the Oto Shinobi's face with a roar, causing Kimimaro to crash to the ground on his back, bringing up the ground around him.

Just then, Naruto dashed backwards as bone rose up from the ground, following his movements before he flickered away, just as a bone spike shot through the area he just was. Kimimaro rose up from the ground, half of his face melted away to reveal bone but it then healed, looking as if he hadn't been struck at all.

Naruto flickered with a burst of hellfire and ash a few feet away from Kimimaro and said "You're standing...Seems you'll be around for a while."

Kimimaro cracked his neck to the left then to the right and replied "For Orochimaru-sama, you shall die here."

Naruto sneered and dashed forward while Kimimaro did the same and the moment the two met in a clash, their arms and legs began to move at a rapid pace, their fists slamming into one another as hard as possible.

Bone covering Kimimaro fist and Hellfire covering Naruto's.

The two broke away after their fists collided, with Naruto skidding on his feet to a stop before he charged towards Kimimaro. Kimimaro skidded to a stop and said "Karamatsu no Mai," with large, jagged bones spurting from his body.

Naruto cocked his hand back and rammed his fist against the Kimimaro's face and almost immediately, his arms lunged out to strike Naruto but he exploded into hellfire and ash. Naruto then appeared and landed an ax kick to Kimimaro's left shoulder before he flickered away as Kimimaro's left arm lashed back to strike him.

Naruto continued to hit his body then flicker away to avoid the quick strikes of Kimimaro's body and he only continued to do it quicker until he suddenly appeared beneath Kimimaro's extended right arm and landed a hard uppercut to Kimimaro's face, with hellfire covering his fist, which sent Kimimaro's into the air.

Naruto smirked and flickered from the ground and into the air above Kimimaro but the Oto shinobi twisted around and slammed his tail against Naruto's side, which caused Naruto to hiss in pain as bone broke through his skin but Naruto grabbed the tail and spun his body before he launched Kimimaro to the ground.

* * *

 ** _ **Village of Hisako  
Downtown Hisako  
Hisako**_**

"Why are have you come back here?" Hisako asked her father after pushing away from him with a look on her face.

"I came down here because to free my daughter from the chains of her wrath," her father said calmly. "For far too long, you have held rage over what had happened to us and yourself by those men that day. It is time for you to let that go."

Hisako frowned and looked away from her father and said "I cannot let that go father. What happened that day was torture..."

"It truly was," her father admitted softly. "But what became of you after your death is in the same league as our own."

Hisako looked at her father in surprise and said "I am doing this to avenge our family and to protect those in this village."

He shook his head and pointed her chest where her heart would have been and said "That is not the true reason and we both know that. I see in your heart that you made peace with what happened at the end of your life but yet you hold so much rage..."

Hisako sneered and looked away from her father. "I am vengeance reborn on anyone who threatens this town. There is no other reason to my anger. My power..."

"I did not teach you to lie Chiharu," Her father said.

"D-Do not call me that name..." Hisako hissed out, her body flickering with sickly green energy. "She died the day you and the others did."

"And yet you share her anger," Her father noted. "Is the grudge you bear so powerful, that it makes you seethe when someone refers to you by your name?"

Hisako then felt his hand touch her shoulder and she immediately felt warmth from his touch. "Please..." He said softly. "Tell me why your anger tethered you to this world for so long..."

Hisako took a shuddered breath and said "On my nineteenth birthday...I encountered someone on the road after my training...I remember he mocked me due to the mud that caked my feet. He tossed a beaded prayer bracelet on the ground and mockingly asked me to marry him..."

Hisako could hear that her voice didn't have the familiar echo of wrath...But it was her original voice. It was as soft as silk and as light as air.

Had it been so long since she last heard it?

"I laughed in his face. I wanted to be a samurai, not somebody's housekeeper. Especially not for a prissy-looking oaf like him. He grew angry and tried to strike at me with his katana but I beat him down with a bucket...He ran, humiliated while I kept his prayer beads."

"That is why you wore it so much," her father said softly.

"To remind me of what I would never become..." Hisako said. Hisako could feel tears fall from her face. "The day we all died, the last thing I saw was his face...It was him...If I hadn't acted in foolish pride...None of you would have died!"

Hisako turned around and cried against her father's chest. "I caused the death of my family. The very thing I always swore to protect...All because of my pride, I lost all of you!" She felt his arms come around her as she continued to sob.

"You were right! I had made peace with how I died...And as much as I hate to admit this, I already avenged each and everyone of you that day...But the anger I felt that tethered me here was because I was angry at myself for how you all perished. "

Her father was silent for a moment before he pulled away and said "So our memories...They were turned into weapons to fuel your fury at yourself...You guarding this village, you feel, is your repentance for feeling that you caused deaths."

Hisako fell to her knees and lowered her head and replied "Yes..."

Her father was silent for a moment before he reached to his side and held out his katana and said "The first step in releasing your anger is to admit why you were angry in the first place."

Hisako looked up and noticed the katana in his hand and murmured "Father?"

"The reason they came to our village is because they studied this place...The one, Orochimaru, realized that the Naginata you held since that day is drenched with your wraith and thus keeps you here. And anyone that holds the Naginata has the power to control you, The force of nature known as Hisako...It is time for you to break the chain that has bound you for centuries."

He then motioned to the katana he held before her and said "And this is how."

Hisako looked at the katana for a moment.

The sheath was bright gold with chains around it while the hilt of the katana was a dragon's head. "This sword," her father said. "Has been a part of our family for generations. I held this blade during the days of my lord...And it is this blade that will break your chains and release the power you truly have. For it is not hate that makes you strong...It is love."

Hisako's eyes widened as she heard Naruto's words in her head.

" _I found someone worth fighting for."_

"The boy you met...He is the same as you. More than you will ever know. He realized this as well when he fought his inner demon back in his former life. He knows how it feels to wear his guilt like noose. But like you, he has grown strong without that guilt," her father said with a small smile. "And now, he needs your help. Not as the rage filled being he has known as Hisako...But the driven, kind soul known as Chiharu."

Hisako nodded and grabbed the katana and the moment she did, a bright golden light overcame her. She could feel her former body shedding away from her new body as the rage she felt in her heart ebbed away and when the light faded, She was wearing the signature _sode, s_ houlder armor and _suneate_ shin guards of a samurai, combined with a black and gold dress and a yellow flower attached to her hair.

Her skin looked more human like instead of the pale gray of death and her eyes were bright gold. She realized that instead of rage in her heart, there was peace and joy within it. She looked at her father and said "I don't feel the bond to my Naginata any longer..."

"The bonds tying you to the weapon, which was drowned in your anger has been severed. You are now free from the guilt and anger from your past. It is time for you to look forward to the future. Not as the Onryō Hisako...But as the heveanly tenshi known as Chiharu."

Hisako, now know as Chiharu smiled at her father and said "I will make you proud of me once more. Forgive my foolishness."

"I am your father. I will always be there to pick you up when you fall but I am not the one you should ask for forgiveness. That lies with the one you attacked due to being blinded by your anger," Her father said.

Chiharu smiled and said "Then I shall do that by taking down all the faces him."

Golden aura flowed from Chiharu's form as she turned away from her father and said "Tell the others It will be a while longer before I can join them," Before she flickered away in golden light.

"Go forth Chiharu..." Her father stated before he disappeared in a golden light.

* * *

 ** _ **Village of Hisako  
Mayor's Mansion  
Uzumaki Naruto**_**

"Tessenka no Mai: Tsuru (Dance of the Clematis: Vine)!" Kimimaro shouted as he pulled out a one of bone spikes in his back and out came his spinal column while whipped towards Naruto, who flickered out of existence to avoid the whip only to appear and slam his right fist against Kimimaro's face, which made his head whip to the right.

Naruto skidded to the left and delivered an uppercut with his left hand, which caused Kimimaro's body to lean back before he lurched forward sharply and slammed his forehead against Naruto's, which not only caused Naruto to stagger backwards but he was also dazed.

Kimimaro then swung his whip, which wrapped around Naruto's body and squeezed tightly, the bone cutting into Naruto's body.

Kimimaro then held out his left arm as a huge bone lance that stretched out past his left shoulder formed from the bone spikes that were in his arm. "Tessenka no Mai: Hana (Dance of the Clematis: Flower)," Kimimaro then dashed forward while cocking his bone lance arm back and said "This is the end!"

* * *

 ** _ **Village of Hisako  
Mayor's Mansion  
Hikari no Chiharu**_**

Kimimaro lunged his left arm forward but just as it was going to strike Naruto, a golden flash collided against the bone, shattering it upon impact and separating his arm as well.

" _Chiharu!  
Chiharu!"_

Naruto fell to the ground on one knee as a familiar, yet different figure appeared in front of him, a katana resting on her right shoulder.

" _Chiharu, tsuyoshi (Chiharu, strong)  
Chiharu hikari (Chiharu, light)"_

"It seems I made it just in time," a calm voice said as the head of the girl turned to glance at Naruto.

"Wait..." Naruto said as he narrowed his eyes. "Hisako? Is that you?"

" _Katana, katana... (Sword, sword...)  
Chichi no katami... (Father's momento...)"_

"No...That was the name of a warrior born of wraith...I am Chiharu," Chiharu said with a kind smile on her face, which made Naruto's eyes widen.

"Chiharu..." Naruto repeated with a breath.

" _Kono katana wo... (To this sword's...)  
Shugosha he (Guardian)"_

"Stay and free yourself from your bindings Uzumaki Naruto. I will take over from here, as this village is my responsibility. It is only fair to kill the last one," Chiharu then turned to Kimimaro, who hunched over as his left arm began to slowly heal.

" _Shugosha he (Guardian)"_

"I remember you being the one killing many of those that defended this place," Chiharu said as he pointed her katana at him. "You will fall this day."

" _Katana, katana, chichi no katami (Sword, sword, Father's momento)  
Kono katana wo shugosha he (To this sword's guardian)"_

"You can try," Kimimaro said blankly before he pulled out another spike and held out a curved sword and dashed towards Chiharu. Chiharu calmly walked towards the oncoming Oto shinobi _._

" _Shinsei Chiharu, hikari kara (Reborn Chiharu, born from light)  
Kage, kurayami no kioku (Shadow, memory of darkness)"_

Kimimaro slashed his blade downward but Chiharu flickered with a golden light and appeared above and behind him with her katana in the air and she quickly dashed down while she slashed at his right arm, which caused him to hiss in pain.

" _Shinsei Chiharu, towa no inochi (Reborn Chiharu, eternal life)  
Katana, katana, chichi no katami (Sword, sword, Father's momento)"_

Kimimaro took step forward and formed a bone shield from his shoulder blade and swung the bone shield towards her but Chiharu flickered from the right to the left behind him and slashed upwards in an angle against his back.

" _Shinsei Chiharu, towa no inochi (Reborn Chiharu, eternal life)  
Katana, katana, chichi no katami (Sword, sword, Father's momento)"_

Kimimaro turned around to slash at her again with his right hand, Chiharu appeared beside him and sliced through the bone shield at a downward angle then she twisted her body and sliced upward against his chest.

" _Shinsei Chiharu, towa no inochi (Reborn Chiharu, eternal life)  
Katana, katana, chichi no katami (Sword, sword, Father's momento)"_

Chiharu dashed backwards as Kimimaro fell to one knee and held his fingertips up and shouted "Teshi Sendan!" and shot ten bone bullets towards the heavenly samurai.

" _Chiharu, tsuyoshi (Chiharu, strong)  
Chiharu, hikari (Chiharu, light)"_

Chiharu used her blade and deflected each and every one of the bullets before she tossed her blade towards Kimimaro then flickered before Kimimaro and rammed her palm against his left side then his upper right side before slamming her palm against his jawline before she twisted backwards, grabbed the sword by its hilt mid-spin before slicing upwards from his left hip to his right shoulder.

" _Chiharu, tsuyoshi (Chiharu, strong)  
Chiharu, hikari (Chiharu, light)"_

Kimimaro staggered backwards and hissed in pain as Chiharu turned around and held her katana at her side and walked towards him slowly.

"I will not fall here...Orochimaru gave me a mission...And I will succeed in it," Kimimaro growled out before he dropped his blade and pulled out another spine whip and swung it at Chiharu but she swiped her blade upward and sliced right through it.

" _Chiharu (Katana, katana) (Chiharu (Sword, sword))  
Tsuyoshi (Chichi no katami) (Strong (Father's momento))"_

"I will not fail," Kimimaro growled out as he pulled off his bone shield with his newly created left arm, and launched it towards Chiharu, who began to jog towards him, her blade scrapping the ground behind her.

" _Chiharu (Kono katana wo)_ (Chiharu (To this sword's))  
 _Hikari (Shugosha he)_ (Light (Guardian))"

Chiharu sliced upwards at an angle to cut through the shield just to see Kimimaro charging towards her with his bone lance. "I got you! Tessenka no Mai: Hana!"

" _Katana, katana, chichi no katami (Sword, sword, Father's momento)  
Kono katana wo shugosha he (To this sword's guardian)"_

Chiharu suddenly jumped to the side to reveal Naruto, who slammed his hellfire covered fist against Kimimaro's face, sending the Oto shinobi off of his feet. Naruto let out a shout and slammed Kimimaro down to the ground, once more bringing up the earth around him.

" _Shinsei Chiharu, hikari kara (Reborn Chiharu, born from light)  
Kage, kurayami no kioku (Shadow, memory of darkness)"_

Naruto and Chiharu jumped into the air with her katana on her right side while Naruto was on her left, pointing his own blade to the left, her blade glowing a bright gold just as a bones began to jut out from the ground.

" _Katana, katana, chichi no katami (Sword, sword, Father's momento)  
Kono katana wo shugosha he (To this sword's guardian)"_

"Sawarabi no Mai (Dance of the Seedling Fern)!" Kimimaro's voice screamed as dozens of sharp bones exploded from the ground while one was heading straight for Chiharu and Naruto and from the bone, Kimimaro's form, who had his bone lance cocked back with an enraged look in his eyes.

" _Shinsei Chiharu, hikari kara (Reborn Chiharu, born from light)  
Kage, kurayami no kioku (Shadow, memory of darkness)"_

"I'll kill you for Orochimaru-sama! I will not fail!" Kimimaro roared out but then both Naruto and Chiharu flickered, one in ash and hellfire and the other in golden light.

" _Katana, katana, chichi no katami (Sword, sword, Father's momento)  
Kono katana wo shugosha he (To this sword's guardian)"_

Seconds later, two blades met in front of Kimimaro's face, where both blades sliced through his nose and all the way down his body and through the bone until the the two pulled their blades away and stabbed the boney ground and stood on their hilts.

" _Shinsei Chiharu, hikari kara (Reborn Chiharu, born from light)  
Kage, kurayami no kioku (Shadow, memory of darkness!) "_

The sound of bones cracking and shattering reached their ears before it all the bones exploded and between them, Kimimaro's front half landed, followed by his back half. "We did it," Naruto said as he placed his feet onto the ground and slide down the flat side of his blade.

"That was close...Thanks Hi...Chiharu-san," Naruto said with a tired smile on his face.

Chiharu sat down with both legs resting to the side as she said "No need to thank me. This is my apology for attacking you when I did. You were only trying to help."

"Well...At least you realize it now," Naruto said before he began to chuckle, which made Chiharu giggle softly. Naruto then remembered something and said "Oh shit, Haku-chan!" Naruto rose from his spot and ran towards the mansion as fast as possible while Chiharu followed.

Naruto slide by her side and noticed that her breathing had stopped.

"No..." Naruto breathed out, shock filling his veins as he stared at the slowly cooling body of his beloved in front of him. "No...No,no,no,no,no!" Naruto yelled as he grabbed Haku's body and held it up as he placed his ear to her chest.

No heartbeat.

"No...Elder gods, please don't take her from me," Naruto said in a panic as he brought her body close to him and held her tight as he murmured "Come on Haku...You're not gone. You can't be gone...You're not gone."

Chiharu stared down at Naruto holding Haku's body and shook her head softly and said "She is gone..."

"No!" Naruto shouted in fury. "I won't accept that! She cannot be gone..." He then turned back to Haku's sickly pale face and brushed her cheek and muttered "She can't...She was supposed to help me bring light to this country..."

Chiharu looked on sadly as Naruto laid her down and began to give her CPR. "Come on Haku, please," he muttered as he pumped his hands against her chest before he leaned down and blew breath into her mouth.

Chiharu knew that Haku had left this place and only shook her head and said "She is gone."

"No. I won't accept that!" Naruto yelled out frantically as he looked to Haku and said "There must be something we can do! Anything! I can't lose her...Not her...Elder gods...please, not her..."

Chiharu listened to the begging Naruto was muttering and felt her heart break at the sight. The strong looking shinobi had been broken down into a scared child. There must be something she could do to help him, after he helped her so much...

It was then she heard a whisper in her ear. She looked into the air and shut her eyes for a moment before she gave a smile and thought _'I understand what needs to be done...'_ before she began to glow softly.

Haku was gone but there was still time to bring her soul back to her body.

"Do not worry," Chiharu said as she knelt beside Naruto and in a flash, her blade appeared in her hand. She then positioned the the blade above her wound and said "This will help her," before she lunged it down and inserted her sword into the hole the bone sword had made.

The glow around Chiharu's form began to leave her body and went to the sword which then fell down the blade into Haku's still body. Haku's body to glow a few moments later and when Chiharu pulled her blade out, Haku's wound was healed and the ice user gasped out her first breath.

"Haku!" Naruto shouted as Haku looked at him, shock written on her face before she reached up and clung to him hard.

"Oh Naruto-kun! You're h-here!" Haku exclaimed as she gripped Naruto tightly as she began to sob. "I-I thought I would n-never see you again!"

"Y-You thought wrong," Naruto said as tears fell down his cheek as he held her tightly. "Thank the Elder Gods that you were wrong..."

Chiharu smiled as Naruto turned to and said "Chiharu...Thank you so much...I don't know what I could do to-"

"You did more than enough to help me. It was my turn to return the favor," Chiharu said as her body began to fade away. "Now my time is up...I used all of my new life to return her from death's clutches...For this day, there is no more heartache. No more anger...No more guilt."

Chiharu then turned to Haku and said "Use this new life well...It's not just yours anymore...It's mine as well."

"I-I will...Thank you," Haku breathed out.

Chiharu gave a smile and said to Haku "My Naginata...Find it and use it...not for rage as I did but to protect the ones that you love. Bring it redemption that it never received."

Haku nodded softly and said "I will. I promise..."

Chiharu looked to Naruto and said "You and I are kindred spirits, Uzumaki Naruto...Maybe one day, you'll be fully free of the demons that haunt you...But until then..."

Chiharu gave a bright smile and said "I'll be watching over you and whenever you need me, I will be there." and with those words, Chiharu faded away into a small orb of golden light, which floated into the air before disappearing.

Naruto smiled and said "Until we met again Chiharu..."

* * *

Rain: And that is the end of this chapter! Holy crap was it a long one...Tell em what you think of it. Until the next one!

Mario: See you next time!


	19. Chapter 19

Rain: And I am back with a brand new chapter of the new year! Whoop Whoop. Sorry its been a while but I am working on my very first book! I am nearly done with it so I'm focusing a bit more on it but I have never forgot about my fanfics and will continue with them until their ending. Now compared to the last chapter, this one will be shorter so sit back, relax and enjoy the next chapter!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 **Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn** **  
** **Chapter Nineteen: Becoming whole! A Meeting of Two Princesses  
**

 _ ** **Unknown Location  
Hyūga Hinata****_

Hinata opened her eyes and let out a small groan of discomfort at the the sounds of music being played close by.

Why were they so loud?

Hinata clenched her eyes tight before she opened them to reveal that she was in a long colonnade with smooth white marble floors, the columns being made of solid gold. From where she sat, it was connected between two buildings, with the colonnade itself being outside, which allowed the sun light to stream into the hall.

Where was she and how did she wind up here? The last thing she remembered before blacking out was finding the fans in that beautiful box then darkness. Hinata looked down at her reflection on the smooth , waxed surface before she realized that she could see a reflection of someone a few feet away.

Hinata looked up to see a tall woman with flowing black hair, which was styled in a ponytail, staring out of one of the openings in the colonnade, her tan, heart shaped face being revealed by the sun made Hinata flush slightly.

The woman wore a short, cerulean-colored cropped halter top, which stopped and splits above her naval and has silver trimmings and has an opening in the middle, laced together with crossed strings.

She also wore a matching thong of a similar design with a long flowing loincloth at the front and back of it, with embroidered designs on the center panel.

She also wore a coronet, thigh-high boots, silver ear drops, and matching arm gauntlets along with a tiara on her head.

The woman was very beautiful, despite the rather revealing clothing but there was an air of sadness around her. The woman shut her eyes and said "You are finally awake. I wondered how long it would take."

Her voice...Despite her youthful beauty, there was a...royalty to her voice that reminded Hinata of her own mother funny enough. "I-I am sorry," Hinata stammered out nervously.

"That is quite alright child," The woman said softly. "Come, join me. We have a lot to talk about." Hinata walked towards the woman, poking her index fingers. When Hinata stood beside the woman, the woman looked to her and said "Look outside and tell me what you see child."

Hinata looked out over the opening and felt her heart stop.

Below the building she was standing on was a city that seemed made by the gods. From the lush green hills, the white houses with the golden roofs that seemed to glow with an ethereal light, the various gold and white statues of what she figured were very important people that also seemed to glow, the crystal clear rivers that went through the vast city to the beautiful clear blue sky above, it was as if she looking at heaven.

"This is Edenia. My kingdom...My home realm," The woman said softly. "It is truly beautiful, is it not?"

"It's more than that," Hinata answered. "I feel like the word "beautiful" w-would only i-insult it..." Hinata could see the woman smile at her words and that made Hinata feel elation within her chest.

The woman let out a laugh. "That is quite true. Edenia's beauty can not be matched by even the gods themselves," The woman said with a proud tone but Hinata could hear the sadness in her voice when she said "It is a pity that this realm is gone now, its wonders burned away like an inferno in a forest. It is truly sad. Even more so that I couldn't fully enjoy my time there."

"Why not?" Hinata asked.

"I was a young child. This was the last memory I had of my realm before it was destroyed by Shao Khan. This is the first time I've been able to see it with such clarity. I was so young when it happened. The only thing I remember was...Looking into the eyes of the man who I thought was my father and the fear on the face of my mother..."

The woman took a small breath then glanced at Hinata and said "I want thank you Hyūga Hinata. You have given me the chance to view a memory long lost to me. Buried deep within the horror that was my life."

"Y-You're welcome," Hinata stammered, staring at the soft, sad smile on the woman's face. "But I should not be thanked for something I don't know how it happened."

The woman nodded and said "Then let me explain. My name is Kitana, Princess of Edenia and Outworld, Assassin to the King of Outworld Shao Khan and the former Queen of the Netherrealm and I am your soul. Your past life..."

Hinata gasped in surprise.

This could not be.

Scholars of the Hyūga clan had taught her that each soul was a brand new soul. Reincarnation didn't exist and yet, there is this woman who claimed she was her old life.

Her soul...

"B-But that is i-impossible. Reincarnation doesn't exist. I-I was taught this," Hinata stammered out, her face etched in confusion.

"Oh, it is truly possible," Kitana said. "As is known in the spirit realm, For every life that ends, another begins and new soul is created along with it while the soul of the deceased has two destinations known as the Heavens or to the Netherrealm. That is always how it is supposed be."

"Then what happened?"Hinata asked

"There is a small window that appears between the death of a being and the birth of another and sometimes, the soul of the recently deceased becomes reconstructed into a new soul with the memories of the old soul becoming dormant. When this happens, there is no way for old soul and a new one to meet but something triggered it."

Hinata narrowed her eyes in thought before her eyes widened, a brief image of the fans locked in a box with ethereal chains appearing in her head. "The fans..." She breathed out.

Kitana nodded and said "You found my fans. Something that should have never been found due to my request of it being thrown into the deepest place on Earthrealm...But you found it and that awoken me."

Hinata stayed silent for a moment, trying to sort her mind through all that she had heard but after a few seconds, Hinata looked to the ground and whispered "Ever since I was little, I always f-felt empty inside...Like a piece of m-me was missing. I thought this feeling would die down but it only increased."

Hinata looked at her opened hands and continued with "When I came here, I felt something tugging at me. It was faint but with each passing hour, this feeling got stronger. It got to the point where I let it lead me and after an hour of looking, I found a box. A beautiful cerulean-colored box with ethereal chains on it...When I opened it, I saw these fans, same color as the box...before I fell unconscious, when I saw them, for the first time in my life, I felt whole. I felt...complete..."

Hinata then looked to Kitana and said "If all that y-you said was true...Then I believe you. I believe that you are my soul but the question is what do we do now?"

"There was a creature created by the sorcerer Shang Tsung known as Ermac. A collection of souls from those defeated during the unification of Outworld and Edenia..." Kitana explained. Hinata looked at her in horror of this but Kitana continued without looking at her.

"When he was first created, he was invincible. Had complete control over all of the souls that was his being but the longer he remained, the souls within him began to rebel and soon, the souls began to war against him and splinter off from his control and therefore, from his body, weakening him severely until his body broke apart...From watching that and knowing his fate, I know that now that there are two of us, I deduce that we are looking at the same fate."

Hinata frowned heavily and said "That cannot be. We must do something."

Kitana nodded and said "I agree and honestly, when you appeared, I was going to kill you and take control as the strongest soul but talking to you, feeling you out tells me you are a pure soul. Kindness unfiltered. Timid but kind...I have killed many as an assassin, both good and evil...But I refuse to kill you so that leaves us fighting out of the question..."

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief at this. She could feel the power flowing from the woman and if she had decided to fight, Hinata knew she would not win, no matter how hard she fought but that left the question of what to do.

As if Kitana had read her mind, the princess said "There are two of us who do not wish to combat one another. The only other solution is to become one once more."

Hinata nodded and stuttered out "I agree. T-That would be best...B-But how will we do that?"

Kitana remained silent for a moment before she held out both hands, palms facing upwards. "In the Netherrealm, my mother taught me a technique where two souls could become one. Before she killed herself so long ago, she thought of combining her soul with my own to protect mine from corruption from Shao Khan but decided against it in fear of it going wrong...She taught me in case I would ever need to do that to escape death...All you have to do is place your hands in mine and I will lead the way."

Hinata glanced at Kitana's hands and then back at Kitana's face before she asked "What will happen once this is done?"

Kitana's face took an unsure look as she replied "I've never done this before so I am truly not sure of what will happen. All I know is that we will live as one. That should be the only thing that matters."

Hinata frowned but then she thought.

If she didn't go through with it, Kitana could always decide to fight and kill her to reign supreme of her body, thus not only her dying but her never being able to see her sister ever again and despite knowing her crush was a taken man, Hinata also thought _'...I want to see Naruto-kun again.'_

But if she went with it, who knows what could happen but in the end, Kitana was right. Surviving was all that matters and Hinata was going to see her sister again no matter what it took.

Summoning up all of her courage, Hinata said in a strong voice "Surviving is all that matters," before she placed her hands into Kitana's own and the moment that happened, she could hear Kitana reciting a chant in a language she didn't recognize.

The world began to brighten around them to the point that it began to blind her but just before everything became to bright, she thought _'Please let me see Hanabi and Naruto-kun again...'_

* * *

 ** _Village of Hisako - Hotel  
Yasai no Tayuya_**

"Oi! Blond!"

Tayuya watched as Naruto turned his head to face her, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Good afternoon! How are you feeling Tayuya-san? "

Tayuya plopped into the chair by his side and gave a small yawn. Tayuya had awoken in the hotel room, twelve hours after the battle at the mansion and while she was sore as all hell but she was well. Fū and Haku had the brutal fight with Kimimaro.

She just had to deal with the double-fuck twins.

"Eh, sore as fuck but I can handle it," Tayuya said as she dragged over a chair and sat in the chair backwards, legs spread out to the sides of it and her arms resting on the top of it. "What about you? The locals are speaking of you battling Kin while slaughtering Oto Shinobi...Which she was doing to come to think of it."

"It wasn't exactly her," Naruto replied. "This place was guarded by a spirit known as Hisako. She was the reason Orochimaru came here in the first damn place. She was the spirit attached to the naginata."

Tayuya was unsure how Naruto knew this but she shrugged it off. There was a lot that she didn't know about the shinobi before her that she wanted to know and that was so far down the list of "Things she wanted to know" that she wouldn't put further thought on it.

"Speaking of the weapon...Did your clones ever find it?" Tayuya asked curiously. During the trek back to the village, she knew that Naruto summoned several clones to see if they could find the weapon.

"I did. Turns out, one of slain Oto shinobi I had killed had the weapon in a sealing scroll. Too bad with the spirit gone now, it is useless to that snake," Naruto said with a frown on his face. "So much loss of life for that weapon...The things humans do."

"But you are human," Tayuya said with furrowed brows.

"I am," Naruto replied.

"And yet, you hold the power of Hellfire. Shit, I didn't even know something like that existed. You look younger than me and yet your so much stronger that it is honestly pissing me off," Tayuya said with a low tone.

"You killed the fat ass Jirōbō...You stood toe to toe with me and Kidōmaru and then not only did you slaughter a shit ton of shinobi during a fight with the spirit Hisako, you then held off Kimimaro and managed to beat him when the three of us couldn't..." Tayuya then looked to Naruto and asked "Just who the fuck are you?"

Naruto chuckled and said "I asked myself the same thing but I'm closer to the answer than I was before I came here."

Tayuya stayed silent for a moment before she asked "So what happens now?"

"We wait for Haku to heal and then we leave," Naruto said with a shrug. "I want to explore this world and continue to figure out who I am within it."

"Sounds like fun. I hope you don't mind me tagging alone," Tayuya said. She saw a surprised look on Naruto's face and it made her smile at how cute he looked.

"You want to come with us?" Naruto asked her.

"Well fuck yeah. I mean, I'm no longer apart of that child diddler's village and I don't think this place will hold me up due to me fucking up here. Besides...I'm curious about you."

 _'Shit! Was not trying to say that,'_ Tayuya said with a mental face palm.

"Curious? About me?" Naruto questioned with a surprise tone. "What's so special about me?"

"Oh! What so special he asks," Tayuya said with a mocking tone. "I already explained that in my previous rant, you not listening asshole but...to add onto that rant, I want to see how you are so strong. I need those answers and I doubt I'll get them in a day or two so I want to learn them myself," Tayuya explained before she hastily added "Besides...I like Haku. She seems great and with her nearly dying earlier, she may not be at full power when she wakes up. Might as well take up the slack until she gets better."

Naruto chuckled as he shook his head and said "You put a lot of thought into this huh? Well...What can I say to that? No? Welcome to the group. We leave as soon as we're able to go."

Tayuya grinned and said "Awesome. I doubt you'll regret it. Now..." Tayuya rose up from her chair and said "If you'll excuse me. I have an appointment to handle."

Naruto looked at her questioningly but Tayuya merely grinned and said "I'll probably need a bed after this so see you soon."

* * *

 ** _ **Village of Hisako - Hotel  
Uzumaki Naruto**_**

 **" **I am truly surprised that she wants to join this little group,"**** Kyūbi stated while Naruto watched Tayuya leave the room with an amused grin on his face.

 _'This is going to be the second time I've converted an enemy to an ally. I think I may start a trend,'_ Naruto noted.

 **" **Well in this case, you had both Chiharu and Tayuya so you've converted two of them. At this rate, you may be on your way to forming a group...Maybe even a clan of your own,"**** Kyūbi replied.

Naruto shook his head. _'No...I doubt I would ever be ready for that again...Not after the Shirai Ryu, both incarnations.'_

 **" **Maybe not now but one day, I'm sure you'll change your mind,"**** Kyūbi responded.

 _'I doubt it...But enough of that for now. I am glad that Tayuya is coming with us. The more people that come with us, the better. I don't know my way around this country. It's better to have people that do,'_ Naruto responded as he leaned back into his chair and glanced at Haku's sleeping form.

She had fallen asleep after Chiharu brought her back to life and Naruto had spent the last few hours sitting by her side as she slept. ' _I almost lost her Kyūbi...'_ Naruto thought with a gentle tone as he brushed his hand against Haku's cheek tenderly.

 **" **But you didn't,"**** **Kyūbi replied.**

 _'Thanks to Chiharu,_ Naruto retorted. _'If she hadn't been here...'_ Naruto moved his hand away from Haku's face and glanced at the hand before he clenched it, a sneer appearing on his face, eyes flashing an orange-red for a moment.

 _'I have to get stronger to protect her,'_ He thought with a hiss. _'I'll be damned if I lose someone else I care about.'_

 **" **And you will,"**** **Kyūbi said.** ** **"And I will be the one to help you."****

Naruto frowned slightly. _'How?'_ He asked her curiously.

He could feel the Kyūbi's smile broaden and for a minute, the shinobi felt a hint of panic form in his chest but he then shook his head. He had already been through hell dealing with Quan-Chi and the Kyūbi did start off on the right foot with not only revealing the Sandaime's deception but also revealing to him his parents.

She deserved some credit so if she knew of a way to get him stronger then he would at least hear her out. Besides, her goal was for both of them to be free of deception. Why would she go back on her word like that?

 _'Very well. I'll leave you up to helping me get stronger...partner,'_ Naruto thought. He could feel smile soften and it made him smile as well.

 **" **Good,"**** Kyūbi said with a chuckle. ****"Now, I want you to rest. You've been awake since the battle and I know you're exhausted,"**** Kyūbi said, her voice stern. Naruto chuckled and nodded and let his eyes drift close.

But just as Naruto began to drift off, Kyūbi had one last thing to tell him.

 **" **I must say...The life of an Uzumaki is always entertaining. From seeing your mother become a small girl to a beautiful woman to seeing her son becoming a fearsome shinobi of hellfire...I am genuinely excited to see where else this adventure takes us."****

* * *

 ** ** _Village of Wave – Tsunami's Home_  
 _Yūhi Kurenai_ ****

"For the last time, I refuse to leave until Hinata awakens," Kurenai stated with a frown on her face, her eyes locked onto Asuma's frustrated ones. It had been two hours since Hinata had fallen unconscious and everyone was gearing up ready to chase after the Uzumaki.

And while Kakashi, Gai and Anko were willing to wait until she awoken, Asuma had been trying to persuade her to keep going. "Look, we can all carry her to the village Zabuza spoke about," Asuma said with a frown on his face. "But we can't stay here and lose Naruto's trail."

"I will not risk the health of my student by taking her unconscious body down the way. She needs bed rest in an actual bed," Kurenai replied. "Kakashi, Gai and Anko seem just fine in waiting until Hinata is awake and well for us to go. Why can't you be okay with it?"

"I just want to complete the mission and go home," Asuma said with a frown. "That place makes more sense then a genin having the power to fight off a very skilled shinobi. Two of them in fact and hailed as a damn deity. The sooner we find him, the sooner things make sense."

"If you feel so strongly about getting Naruto, why don't you and the others go without me?" Kurenai asked pointedly.

"We are a squad Kurenai. You know that we don't leave our own behind," Asuma replied with a sigh. "Besides...You know I couldn't leave you of all people alone."

Kurenai gave him a glare and retorted with "And yet you asked of me to leave Hinata behind to continue the mission."

"At first I did but I also said we can carry her and you refused that as well," Asuma countered.

"Because she is my student and I want what's best for her," Kurenai told him. "And if I feel she is better off resting in a bed instead of being passed around by everyone and have her feel like burden on her teammates, which she already feels that way of herself, then she rests in a bed until she is well."

Asuma grunted and opened his mouth but then Kurenai felt an unbelievable amount of chakra pressure coming from upstairs. So much, that it caused her legs to shake from the amount.

A few seconds later, Kakashi and Anko ran into the room, with Kakashi asking "Did you guys feel that?"

"We felt it all right," Kurenai said with a frown on her face. "It came from upstairs."

"Upstairs? But the only one upstairs is Hinata and no offense Kure-chan, that girl does not have that amount of chakra to cause my legs to buckle like that," Anko said.

Kurenai felt her heart drop to her stomach before she ran upstairs, with the other Jōnin following suit. When the four made it up the stairs, Kurenai quickly rushed to Hinata's room and felt the large amount of chakra pouring from it.

"It's coming from the room she is in," Kurenai said as she tried to open the door but to her horror, it refused to open. "What the hell?" Kurenai said to herself as she tried to push the door open with chakra infused muscles but the chakra within the room pushed back against the door, making it refuse to open.

Kurenai growled and took a step and punched the door as hard as possible, which caused her hand to go through it but seconds later, she pulled her hand out and a large stream of chakra exploded from the hole.

"What the hell?" Kurenai whispered in shock and then the entire door exploded from the chakra, forcing the four Jōnins off their feet but Kurenai was shot backwards down the hall until her back slammed against the wall where she then fell to the ground.

"Kure-chan," Anko said as she rushed to Kurenai's side, with Kakashi and Asuma in tow but Kurenai groaned in pain as she held her right arm, which was slightly singed from the chakra.

Whatever was causing that huge burst of chakra would not allow them into the room but as Anko helped Kurenai off her feet, the chakra suddenly began to ebb away until it was all completely gone, leaving only clouds of smoke.

The four shinobi watched as a human shaped shadow stood in the smoke, eyes glowing a bright purple before the light faded away. The smoke began to ebb away to reveal Hinata standing in the doorway but Kurenai immediately noticed a few things.

Hinata was two feet taller than she was previously with curves that was not there before. Her bust seemed to be bigger and her hair was so long, it reached the middle of her back but what shocked Kurenai was her eyes.

They didn't hold the innocence that they normal had.

These eyes held an edge to them that seemed to pierce her soul.

It was a predatory edge.

It was as if she was sizing all of the shinobi up, thinking of many ways to take them down.

Hinata took a breath, a small grin appearing on her face.

"I believe we have a mission to complete..." she spoke softly but there was this haughtiness in her voice that Kurenai had caught.

Hinata's voice was also so soft. Gentle like a breeze in the spring...It was never this before.

"To find and bring back one Uzumaki Naruto. Is that correct?" Hinata asked as Kurenai found her student's eyes on her.

"That's right," Kurenai found herself saying, despite wanting to say many other things.

Hinata laughed softly and it was then Kurenai saw a glow of determination in Hinata's eyes as the kunoichi said "Then gather all that belong to this mission and be ready to head out. For I want Uzumaki Naruto..."

Hinata's grin grew.

"And as Princess of the Hyūga Clan, I do get what I desire."

* * *

Rain: And that is the end of this chapter. So, before anyone starts, more MK characters will appear to certain shinobi but they won't all go like this at all and with that warning, be prepared because some shinobi will be dying but I won't tell you who.

So Kitana and Hinata are now one and Naruto is resting while Tayuya went to handle her appointment. The next chapter will official end the Hisako Arc as well as set up the next adventure and be warned, we're going to be dipping more into Mortal Kombat with this next adventure so until then...

Mario: See you next time!


	20. Chapter 20

Rain: Another chapter? So soon? Why yes it is. I figured while since I was on a roll...Why stop there? So sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 **Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn**  
 **Chapter Twenty: Goodbye Hisako Village! A New Challenger Appears  
**

 ** _Village of Hisako – Destroyed Mansion  
Yasai no Tayuya_**

"You came."

Tayuya grinned and twirled her flute in her hand before she sheathed it in her pouch before rubbing her right wrist. "I did promise you that I would," Tayuya said as she faced off with Fū.

Fū nodded her head and stood up from the destroyed stairs and said "Before we begin, I wish to thank you for your assistance last night."

Tayuya chuckled and said "They needed their shit pushed in. I offered my assistance. Besides, they were going to kill me."

"Regardless of the reason, thank you," Fū said before she slipped off her bag and tossed it to the side. "But that does not change the fact that you helped them occupy this village in the first place and for that, you must pay."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Tayuya replied with a grin. "So, how do you want to do this?"

"Taijutsu only. I won't need chakra to defeat you," Fū stated.

Tayuya chuckled and said "Let's change that mind of yours then." With no other words, Tayuya launched herself to Fū with a shout of "Let's do this!"

* * *

 **Village of Wave – Tsunami's Home  
U. N Hunting Squad  
Hyūga Hinata**

Opening and closing her hand, Hinata stared at her right hand and then her left before she jabbed the air with her right arm repeatedly before she followed up with her left before she twisted her body and kicked the air sharply.

She kept the leg in the air before sharply bringing it down to the ground before she leapt in the air while twisting her body and kicked the air again before she dropped to the ground and swept her leg against the ground before finally rising to her feet and placing her hands behind her back.

"Hm..Limber. A lot quicker than my own..." Hinata commented with a chuckle. "I will be able to acclimate better than I expected." She then turned to see the Jōnin shinobi gawking at her and smiled.

"I see you four admire my visage," she stated before she let out a small laugh. "I do know my beauty have fell the hearts of many that have gazed upon it so I appreciate the gesture...But I could have sworn we were supposed to find Uzumaki Naruto. Why are we still here?"

Kurenai stood up and took a few steps to Hinata and asked "Hinata...What happened to you?"

Hinata chuckled and said "I became whole my child. Simple as that," then placed her hand on Kurenai's face and murmured "Such beautiful eyes you have Kurenai-sensei...Like rubies brightened by the suns of Edenia. How did I fail to notice them before?"

She saw Kurenai blink shocked and heard Anko and Kakashi gasp in shock. Although, she could also see the two Jōnin giggle. Was it due to the age difference between the two of them? Or was it because she was caressing Kurenai's face.

Hinata didn't know but that didn't matter to her. Hinata turned her attention back to Kurenai and said "Do not fret child. I am still the same Hinata you know. However, I have evolved to something better. Do not worry or be afraid for I will be there to help you and as a princess, I never forget my vow."

Hinata lowered her hand, letting her fingertips trail against Kurenai's face before she placed her hand behind her back and walked to the remaining three shinobi. She look at Anko first and said "You remind me of Mileena...I can sense the blood oozing from you but there is a certain...air of likability about you. The snakes however, I can personally do without but as long as they can be controlled, I will be fine."

"Well...Thanks there Pearl Eyes. I like you too," Anko said with a toothy grin.

Hinata turned to Kakashi and sneered lightly. "Hatake Kakashi...I can feel electricity pouring from you. I'm not a fan of lightning...But despite that and the slothful air you exude, I sense some sort of power from you. Just make yourself useful in searching for your student and we should be fine."

She looked at Asuma and let out a chuckle and said "I would say you remind me Johnny Cage but I would be insulting Cage. Just do the best you can with the lack of skill you possess."

Asuma narrowed his eyes but as he opened his mouth, Hinata raised her right hand and said "Do not speak. You will only further humiliate yourself in the eyes of your companions as well as those you teach."

Hinata walked away from Asuma and walked down the hallway back to the still stunned Kurenai and said "If you excuse me, I'm going to go for a stroll around this village. I bid the four of you farewell."

With a nod of her head, Hinata walked down the stairs. She believed those four will be able to assist her in finding Uzumaki Naruto but what would she do once she found him? That was the next question.

 _'I suppose I shall cross that bridge when I get to it,'_ Hinata thought to herself. For now, she would enjoy the sweet air of Earthrealm...Hm...Should she even call this Earthrealm any longer?

There was no trace of the original world and this new world seemed so different but there was one thing. Everyone seemed to have "Chakra" this world's magical arts that allowed them to do things that decedents of the gods, such as herself, could do.

Well...to the best of their abilities anyways.

"Excuse me, Onee-chan?" a tiny voice asked from beneath her. Hinata looked down and saw a red haired five year old with bright emerald green eyes staring up at her. "Hello child," Hinata said as she crouched down, a warm smile on her face.

"Do you mind helping me? Whisker-nii would normally help me but he is gone now," the girl said she looked down to the ground sadly.

Whisker-nii?

 _'She means Naruto-kun,'_ Hinata thought. "How can I assist you?"

"W-Well...I lost Inari-nii and I need help in finding him. Do you mind helping me? Everyone else is too busy to help..." the little girl said with a frown.

Hinata frowned as well and said "Why how could I, Princess of the Hyūga clan deny such a beautiful face? Of course I will help you find this Inari."

The girl gave a bright smile and that made Hinata smile as well. She then stood up and took the small girl's hand and said "Let us go little one."

As Hinata followed the little girl, she couldn't help but look at the many images of Naruto around her, she realized something. Before when she gazed upon his image, she knew that while she was staring at Naruto, there was something else but now as a whole soul, she knew what she was viewing.

Those eyes...She had seen those eyes on one another person in her lifetime...And it belonged to the firefly...The original revenant of Quan-Chi...

"Scorpion..." She breathed out before she let out a chuckle. _'That explains it. Uzumaki Naruto was already a pretty special guy but to know he is also Scorpion...No wonder he was able to do the things that he did he-'_

"There he is!" The little one shouted, snapping Hinata from her thoughts.

Hinata looked up and noticed that Tazuna and the young Inari standing in line for a scoop of ice cream. The little girl turned to Hinata and gave a quick bow as she said "Thank you Onee-chan! I can't wait for Whisker-nii to come back so I can tell him how nice you are!"

"I can pass on that message for you for I will be seeing him very soon," Hinata replied with a kind smile.

"R-Really?" The girl asked hopefully. "W-Well can you give him and Haku-nee a message?"

Hinata nodded and when she noticed the little one was motioning for her to kneel, Hinata knelt and was immediately hugged by the small child. Hinata shook her head with a chuckle and returned to the hug.

"T-Tell them that Kotoha misses them very much and hope they return soon with tons of goodies," Kotoha told her with excitement in her eyes.

"I shall. As Princess of the Hyūga Clan, I am bound by word," Hinata said as she ruffled the sweet girl's hair. The girl smiled and gave Hinata another hug, which made Hinata blink. "Is this also for Naruto-kun?" She asked.

Kotoha moved away and shook her head and replied "That was for you Princess-nee!" before she ran off to Inari while she waved "Bye bye!"

Hinata chuckled and rose to her feet and placed her arms behind her back and narrowed her eyes in thought. Naruto was even this Haku were very well liked her and this girl, seemed more like their daughter than anything.

She didn't know how to feel about any of this other than happiness. She always felt that Naruto deserved so much with how horrible he was treated in the village and yet knowing that he was happy with another hurt her.

She cared for Naruto so much...Why didn't she ever say anything to him? Why did she cling to the shadows?

But then there was another thought.

He was also Scorpion...

In her past life, her heart...her soul belonged to Liu Kang, the previous Champion of Mortal Kombat.

But that...that was her old life...And Liu Kang she knew was gone. Replaced by that...

Hinata shut her eyes, fury building in her veins.

No, enough about him...

"Yo Hinata-chan!"

Hinata was lured away from her thoughts by Kiba's voice. She turned around to see both Shino and Kiba running up to her. "See Shino," Kiba said once they were before her. "This was Hinata. Akamaru's nose is never wrong."

"I had to believe this wasn't her. Her chakra changed so dramatically, my Kikai couldn't recognize her," Shino replied.

"Well I am who I've always been. I just got a bit stronger, is all," Hinata told the two.

"You also got a bit taller, hair is longer and your brea-Shutting up," Kiba said, cutting himself off from what he was going to say but Hinata merely rolled her eyes.

She knew of Kiba's perverted nature from their first mission staking out some feudal lord's whore house to protect said whores so she wasn't surprised but she will need to curb that when directed her at.

"Inuzuka Kiba, If I ever hear any lewd comments concerning my body or see you staring at my body, as flawless as it is, I will have to take away a your ability to create an heir," Hinata said, her voice becoming as cold as Sub-Zero's touch.

Kiba shivered and said "Noted...Man, you never spoke like that before."

"I figured it was time for a change," Hinata noted with a small grin on her face before turning to Shino to ask "Now, where are everyone else?"

"Rock Lee and Tenten are training with Gai-san. Shikamaru and Chōji are playing Shogi while Ino watches and both Neji and Sakura disappeared after her and Neji got into an argument," Shino said.

"Sakura and Neji?" Hinata commented, curious as to why they had argued.

Hinata didn't have to wait long because Kiba instantly replied "Well, Neji was losing his mind about how popular Naruto is here (and honestly, so are we) and Sakura told him that he was jealous of Naruto's success while he had none. He then accused her of falling in love with Naruto. Which is just ironic as all hell really."

"How interesting...I will need to speak to both of them at a later time," Hinata said thoughtfully. "For now, let us return to Tazuna-san's home. We are getting ready to leave this place soon."

 _'Because I need to see him again...'_ Hinata clenched her fist and let a small, determined smirk appear on her face. _'Because I get what I desire and nothing will stop that...'_

* * *

 ** _Village of Hisako – Destroyed Mansion  
Uzumaki Naruto_**

"I can't believe you guys aren't willing to stay another day," Fū said to Naruto with a small frown on her bandaged face.

Once Haku and Naruto woke up, the two decided that it would be in their best interest to leave the village while the sun was still high in the sky. Naruto admitted to her that he would rather her stay one more day to heal but Haku had none of it.

" _I don't know why but I have a gut feeling In my heart that we can't stay here any longer,"_ she had told him and in his past life, gut feelings were never to be ignored. Naruto, Haku and the bandaged up Tayuya stood in front of the village's exit with Fū and the villagers of Hisako standing behind her.

"I know but we have to continue moving," Naruto told her with a smile. "But I am sure things will be fine in your capable hands Fū."

Fū gave a small grin and said "I sure do hope so." The two shook hands before Naruto watched Fū give Haku a loose hug. "Please be careful. You I don't want to find out that you died after you left here, Haku-chan," Fū told her.

Haku gave a small grin and said "And you be careful too because I don't want to hear that you died either."

"Her die?" Tayuya said with a sneer. "As strong as she is, I doubt it." Fū moved away from Haku and faced off with Tayuya.

 **"I can sense the respect radiating off these two,** " Kyūbi commented.

Naruto nodded and thought _'I wonder what happened between those two? I mean, they were not that injured when I saw them earlier...'_

"You better live out there Tayuya," Fū said with a small smirk.

Tayuya snorted and said "Likewise. I expect a rematch down the road." Tayuya held up her bandaged right hand and bumped it with Fū's bandaged left fist before Tayuya asked "Has Kin awakened yet?"

"Not yet," Fū said with a frown. "But when she does, I'll send you a note to let you know what happens."

Tayuya nodded and said "Good. Thanks for looking out for her in the time being. Despite her attitude, she was my only friend in Oto. I would have hated for her to get hurt or die."

Fū nodded in agreement and said "I can understand that. All too well."

"Well then," Naruto said as he turned away from the large group. "We are all out of here!"

"Take care and thank you," one villager said.

"Thank you for saving us!" another villager shouted.

"Goodbye mister!" A child shouted.

"We will never forget any of you!" many others shouted.

"Take care," Fū said softly.

Naruto, Tayuya and Haku nodded before the three turned and walked away from the many cheers of the villagers behind them.

"So where are we off to now?" Tayuya asked curiously.

Naruto chuckled and said "Wherever the wind takes us Tayuya."

Haku giggled and said "Well I think the wind is taking us west then."

"Then west we go," Tayuya said with an excited grin. "Let's see where this little adventure takes us!"

* * *

 ** _Village of Hisako – Jail Cell  
Tsuchi Kin_**

Kin laid on a small cot on the floor in her jail cell, a single light bulb sitting on the ceiling above her, her eyes closed and sweat dripping down her face, her body moving from left to right, little whimpers of terror leaving her lips.

There was dark feminine laughter ringing in her head as her she let out a scream of agony and with each brief raise of her eye lids, yellow light shined from beneath it.

After several minutes of struggling, Kin let out a loud scream as yellow chakra exploded from her body and swirled within the cell, bending the metal door and the walls around her.

When the chakra faded and when her body became visible, Kin's skin had taken on a darker hue and her body had become slimmer and muscular, akin to an athletic swimmer's body and the moment her eyes opened, there was a slight yellow glow to her now iris-less eyes.

Kin let out a low chuckle and said "If you can here me up there Hisako...Thank you for waking me up and giving me such a weak opponent to destroy." Kin let out another chuckle and held out her left hand and suddenly, a yellow ball of flame appeared, floating in her palm, lighting up the now dark room.

"I failed to get Edenia like the Khan promised me but I think this world will work out wonders for me now," Kin then snuffed out the flame, leaving her in darkness, with only the glow of her yellow eyes showing in the dark.

* * *

Rain: And that is the end of this chapter. So, I decided to have the group of three leave the village early than I originally intended due to having another idea stewing. Tayuya and Fū did fight and while I left that out, I will go back to it in a later chapter when Naruto and Tayuya talk about something extremely important.

And now, one of our main villains has stepped into the stage and her name is Tanya! I always intended for Kin to be sacrificed to Tanya. So that is the end of this chapter. The next one should be up soon but until then...

Mario: See you next time!


	21. Chapter 21

Rain: And I am back with a brand new chapter. I'm sorry it took so long but truthfully, the combination of working on my book and the severe writer's block caused it but now I know where I am going with this so sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

Mario: Here we go!

* * *

 **Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn**  
 **Chapter Twenty-One: Reaching Hisako! Hinata Vs Neji**

 **Village of Hisako**  
 **U. N Hunting Squad**  
 **Hyūga Hinata**

"No…No…this cannot be," Ino breathed out in disbelief.

"Oh come the fuck on!" Kiba exclaimed in horror as the Hunting Squad stood at the gates of Hisako.

"You've got to be kidding me! Again?!" Asuma shouted.

Kakashi chuckled and said "Yeah. Looks like this may be a habit."

Hinata remained silent as she stood at the gate, a look of smug amusement on her face.

The village of Hisako had blue, orange, red and green streamers across the fronts of buildings and homes while people on the roofs were throwing confetti in those colors down to the ground.

On the ground, various adults and children were cheering and shouting in joy, shouting out while music played in the background but while some of the people had drawn whisker marks on their faces, others had red or teal wigs and crudely painted blue masks.

"Well…Let's see what he did here, shall we?" Hinata suggested as she walked past the village gates.

Hinata walked past the various food and game stands lined up on her sides, enjoying the cheery feeling in the air. The last time she had felt this way was when the first Mortal Kombat tournament had finished and she got to watch her friends…

'No...That was a long time ago,' Hinata thought with a hint of regret in her voice. Hinata paused at one of the stands and said to the woman behind it "Hello. My name is Hyūga Hinata, Princess of the Hyūga Clan and I just wanted to ask what the celebration is about."

The woman, and older looking female with long white hair, gave Hinata a beaming smile and said "This is to celebrate the brave heroes that fought to save our village from the Oto menace."

"Oto?" Hinata questioned with a tilt of her head.

"Yes, they were a ruthless bunch. They killed our previous mayor and held us captive for Kami knows how long but a few days ago, Uzumaki Naruto and Momochi Haku came and they instantly fought for us. Killing the cruel group of Oto shinobi."

'Saving another village…It seems you're putting your powers to better use this time around,' Hinata thought with a fond tone before she heard the lady say "Now the rest of the parts is sketchy but our new mayor personally fought by his side. She should know more."

"And who is the new mayor?" Hinata asked.

* * *

 **Village _of Hisako – Mayor's Office_**  
 ** _Fū_**

"Here is your tea, Fū-sama," A brown haired girl said kindly as Fū sat at the desk with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Fū paused and looked to the girl and said "Chie-chan, I told you that "Fū" was just fine," Fū admonished with a waggle of her right index finger before she took the tea and said "But thank you though."

"Anytime Fū-sa…Fū-san," Chie said, catching herself, which made Fū smile.

Such a cute girl.

Fū looked out towards the window beside her, that thoughtful expression on her face.

"You seem deep into thought. Still surprised at your new position?"

Fū's eyes looked to a curious Chie and gave her a small grin and replied "Nah, I had to end that surprised feeling after everyone practically forced me into the seat." Chie giggled a bit before Fū continued with "But no, I have someone that seems to have taken up residence in my mind."

"Oh? Is it the blond haired savior?" Chie asked, her voice showing a hint of revere in them.

Fū remained silent for a moment, her mind taking her back to three days before.

* * *

 **Flashback – Village of Hisako**  
 **Destroyed Mansion**  
 **Fū**

 _"Holy…Shit…" Tayuya breathed out,_ laying _prone on the ground with her arms and legs spread slightly, her eyes closed as she breathed heavily._

 _Fū was on top of her, a kunai placed at her neck as she panted just as hard. Both girls were scratched up and bleeding from various areas after a long a brutal Taijutsu battle but in the end, Fū stood tall._

 _"Do you submit?" Fū asked Tayuya, her hand slightly shaking from the exhaustion she was feeling._

 _She watched as Tayuya opened up her left eye and said "Y'know what? Yeah…I think I'm done…I can barely move anyways…"_

 _Fū let out a groan of relief and fell to the left of the kunoichi and shut her eyes before she said "Thank Kami for that. I thought you would never stop. You're a hard person to keep down…"_

 _"You're telling me," Tayuya responded breathily as Fū saw a grin form on her face. "You know how to take a damn punch. I was throwing all I had at you and you still kept getting up."_

 _"Thank Kami we decided on just punching the fuck out of each other because one of us would be dead if Jutsus came into play," Fū said with an exhausted chuckle._

 _"You can thank my childhood for that one. My grandfather Yusuke always said that while Jutsus are great, nothing beats beating the tar out of your opponent with your bare hands," Tayuya replied._

 _"My kind of guy," Fū retorted before the two girls settled into a comfortable silence, both of them still breathing heavily while staring at the clear blue sky above them._

 _"How is Kin doing? Has she woken up?" Tayuya asked her._

 _Fū turned to look at Tayuya's face and whispered "Not yet. We put her in one of our prisons for now to let her rest…"_

 _"I get that. She didn't get "Redeemed" like I did," Tayuya replied with a small sigh. "That idiot. I told her to get out of here. Instead, she got taken over by a spirit. This tanks."_

 _"She will be ok," Fū told her. "I will make sure no harm comes to her Tayuya. The least I can do after that fight."_

 _"Promise me Fū," Tayuya said, a serious look on her face. "She's more than a friend to me. She's like my sister. Promise me that everything with her will be ok."_

 _"I promise," Fū told her._

 _The two stared at each other for a moment before Tayuya looked back at the sky and said "Thanks…You're not half bad."_

 _"You're easy on the eyes too," Fū retorted with a grin on her face._

 _The two once again grew quiet but then Tayuya slowly raised her head up from the ground to look at Fū questioningly. "So…is everything square with us or do I need to start preparing to see the Shinigami?" Tayuya asked._

 _Fū gave Tayuya a long, hard look._

 _This kunoichi was her enemy. She had possibly killed a few civilians and she knew she helped with the death of the mayor but there things about her that Fū actually liked._

 _She was_ strong willed _, strong,_ foul mouthed _, cute and honest and while all of those were good, it was the last one that stuck out to her._

 _Tayuya could have lied to her that day, saying she had nothing to do with what her team was doing but instead, she stepped up and readily admitted all of her_ wrong doings _, despite Fū being ready to kill her._

 _In the shinobi world, honesty was a rare key and Tayuya had that trait._

 _Besides, Tayuya helped slay many of her own comrades and helped her deal with the bone user, saving her life in the process._

 _Taking all of that in mind, she knew her answer. "We're square Tayuya."_

 _Fū saw the visible relief on Tayuya's face when she said those three words and it made her chuckle softly. "I don't forgive people often for the serious things you did but you did help our village in the end and saved my life against Kimimaro. Just don't make me regret it."_

 _"Hehehe, I'll try not to fuck it up," Tayuya replied as she rested her head back on the ground where she then sighed and_ said _"Though I think you'll have to wait a long time to see if I actually do mess things up between us."_

 _"Why is that?" Fū questioned._

 _"I think today is the day we'll leave," Tayuya replied._

 _"What do you mean?" Fū asked._

 _"Well, before I came to meet you here, I was speaking to Naruto," Tayuya explained. "I'll be going with him and Haku," Tayuya explained._

 _"Wow, what made that a choice for you?" Fū asked as she leaned up from the ground and looked at Tayuya's face. "Did he ask you to come with him?"_

 _Tayuya snorted and said "Not at all. It's just…I've seen him do some shit I had never seen before. Like, you saw him fight. He can't be any older than us but he's killing armies and people really strong. It's strange to me and I want to learn where he got that strength from and surpass it."_

 _"You want to surpass Naruto's power, eh? A pretty hefty goal considering all that we've seen him do," Fū said with a straight face. "However, I'm sure it can be done…If anyone could surpass him, I believe it would be you."_

 _"You think so?" Tayuya asked her curiously._

 _"Considering how tenacious you are, yeah, I think so," Fū said as she gave Tayuya an encouraging grin._

 _Tayuya opened her eyes to look at her and gave her a small smile and said "Good. Because after today, I make a vow. I'm going to surpass both you and Naruto so when I come back, you and I will fight again and this time, I will win so don't get yourself killed, got me?"_

 _Fū smirked and said "I won't die until we fight again. That is a promise I am willing to keep." Fū lifted up her right fist to Tayuya, who grinned and tapped her left fist with it._

 _"And I promise to get stronger to make our rematch that much better…" Tayuya promised._

* * *

 **End Flashback**  
 **Village of Hisako – Mayor's Office**  
 **Fū**

 _'Tayuya…I hope you safe out there,'_ Fū thought before she shook her head and said to Chie "I was thinking more of a vibrant red headed gal but we can go with that too," before she winked at the assistant.

Chie giggled at the wink but then, a black haired girl came into the room and said "Fū-sama. There is a group of shinobi here to see you. Say they are looking for the blond savior, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Oh? Send them in Yukiko-san," Fū said before she blinked and added "And don't call me that." After Yukiko left the room, a group of fifteen shinobi walked into the room, a bunch of confetti resting on their heads and shoulders, which made Fū smile.

"Wow, I would thought they would have stopped celebrating by now," Fū said, noting the confetti on the shinobi. "Well, I'm Fū, the Mayor of Hisako. How can I help you?"

"You're the mayor of this city?" A young kunoichi asked, her lavender pearl eyes locked on Fū's own orange eyes.

"That's right! The villagers here pretty much forced the title on me after everything calmed down a bit. To go from a gal who was trying to become a legit villager to becoming the mayor. Quite the accomplishment," Fū said with a cheeky grin before she looked down at her wrist watch and said "There I go, blabbing away again. So, you guys are looking for Uzumaki Naruto, right?"

This time, a very familiar man stepped forward and said "Yeah. By the way, I'm Hatake Kakashi. I'm his sensei. We were ordered to bring him back to Konoha. Judging from the villagers, you have come across him. Is he still here?"

Fū's eyes narrowed a bit and asked "And why shoulder I tell you?"

"I'm sorry what?" A shinobi with a white dog on his head asked.

"Why should I tell you?" Fū repeated. "He, along with Haku-san and Tayuya, helped me save my village so I hold them in high regard and I do not want to put them into a dangerous situation by answering."

"Who is Tayuya?" The boy with the dog asked.

"Trust me, he is in no danger," the girl with the pearl eyes said. "I am Hyūga Hinata, Princess of the Hyūga Clan and shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato and Uzumaki Naruto…He is…Someone dear to me. I would not ask for his return if he was."

Fū stayed silent for a moment, trying to sense any deception in Hinata's words but she could find none. "I believe you," she said finally. "But he is not here anymore. He left three days ago. We tried to get him to stay another day for him, Tayuya and Haku to heal more but he and Haku were adamant in leaving."

"Damn it…" Hinata swore "Do you have any idea where he could have gone?"

"I wish I did," Fū replied. "He became a great ally and a good friend for helping me when he and Haku didn't have to. I wanted to make sure I can stay updated in his life…"

"Alright…Thank you Fū-san for telling me," Hinata told her with a kind smile.

"Anytime…Any other questions for me at all?" Fū asked.

"Actually, you can answer this for me Fū-san," A red eyed kunoichi asked. "Tell me…What exactly happened for to become mayor and for Naruto and his companions to be hailed as heroes?"

"Well…Short version or long version?" Fū questioned the group with a cheeky grin before she went into her tale.

Once she was finished, the entire room was in silence.

"This is some amazing bullshit," Kiba said as he laughed in disbelief.

Fū had thankfully learned the names of the people that were crowding her room during her tale.

"We just came from a village celebrating and now we're here in another?" Kiba exclaimed. "He even has another person in his crew! Is it going to be like this every single village we go to trying to find him?! I don't know whether to be envious or shake his damn hand!"

"Who says we can't be both?" Shikamaru suggested with a wry grin on his face.

"That a boy," Fū said, clearly amused by it all. "So I'm guess this is out of the norm for him then?"

"Yeah," Sasuke grumbled out. "He was known as the dope, the loser back in Konoha. Some of us aren't taking his growing popularity well." He then tilted his head to Neji, who was barely holding back on his anger.

"Yosh. Another village has been swayed by the youthful courage of Naruto-kun! This is a joyous day, Gai-sensei," Lee said with a beaming smile, which Gai replicated perfectly.

"Yes my excellent student! We must celebrate Naruto's youthful victory on this day by doing several laps around the city!" Gai exclaimed before the two zipped out of the office, leaving the room (Minus Sasuke and Neji) bemused.

"Well thank you for telling us," Kurenai said with a grateful bow.

"And congrats on the promotion to Mayor of this place. It looks great," Anko said with a thumbs up.

Fū grinned and said with a flirty tone "Thanks. Coming from you, I'll take that as a glowing endorsement."

Anko looked at her in surprise before she laughed and said "Look at you, flirting with me. Flattery gets you everywhere with me."

While Kurenai looked amused, all the males in the room seemed to blush, which made Fū's grin widen. "Well I would love to continue this but I have a few meetings to attend to. If you guys stay, I would love you all to stay at my hotel. Which the villagers also gifted to me…So let me know."

"Thank you. After the good stretch, we could use a place to relax," Kakashi said with a grateful tone.

"Anytime. Stop by to let me know what the plan is," Fū told them before she bid them goodbye and turned back out to look out the window.

 _'Well things just got more interesting…'_

* * *

 **Village of Hisako – The Streets**  
 **U. N Hunting Squad**  
 **Genin Squad**

Hinata was annoyed.

She had just missed Naruto again.

By three lousy days.

'If only those foolish idiots heeded my request to leave earlier instead of wasting time for another few days, we would have been able to catch him,' Hinata thought with agitation.

All she wanted to do was see Naruto again. The person that was near and dear to her heart…Was that so hard to do? 'Apparently so because anytime I get close enough, I get screw over by these pathetic…' Hinata let out a sigh. 'No…I shouldn't be angry at them. They don't understand how much I need to see him…'

"You kids stay in the village, we're going to go search for Lee and Gai," Kakashi told the group of genin. "We will be back soon."

"But why all of you?" Shino asked.

"Trust me…Whenever they make a declaration like that, it normally takes everything Neji and I have to snap them out of it," Tenten said with a sigh. "Sending all the Jōnin to get them is a very good decision that will make this easier for us to reign them in."

"Good call," Asuma said with a frown. "Now let's get going before they get really out of hand."

"You guys be careful. We'll be back soon," Kurenai said before the four Jōnin flickered out of existence.

It was then she heard Sakura begin to speak behind her.

"Isn't he amazing?" Sakura said with a happy smile on her face. "Two villages were saved by him without him gaining anything in return…He truly is a great shinobi."

"Hell, at this point, I'm rooting for him to keep escaping from us if he continues to help people like this," Chōji said while digging his hand in his chip bag.

Ino snorted and placed her hands behind her head and replied "At this point I'm starting to agree. I can't believe it though. From Zero to Hero he went. It is pretty amazing."

"And here you all thought I was lying," Sakura said with a smile. "I mean, look at everyone here. They are happy. From what the mayor said, everyone was scared to death before he got here and once again, he worked his magic…I am so happy he is being treated like this and I'm going to hate bringing him back to Konoha…"

"Haruno, your fan-girling nature is disgusting," Neji hissed out in anger. "The drop out got lucky again. That's all this is."

Sakura frowned and said "Why can't you just accept the fact that he is better? What do you have to prove?"

"He was fated to be a failure. This success goes against his destiny," Neji responded.

Hinata chuckled and said "His destiny seems to be proving you wrong currently, Neji."

"No one asked you weakling," Neji said, the anger in his voice barely being held in check. "You're frantic search for him is just as sickening to me as her awe of him. You should be trying to get stronger instead of looking for this failure of a shinobi!"

Sakura scowled and balled up her first but Hinata placed a hand on her shoulder, her face in a cold expression. "Hyūga Neji. I have let those comments about myself slide in the past but you seem to like trying my patience," Hinata said, her voice calm but there was an undercurrent of anger beneath the calm veneer.

But Neji didn't see it.

Instead, he seemed to be emboldened by her words because he said "So this is what it takes for you to get a spine? Talking about that lowlife, pathetic, three time failure of a shinobi. It figures that losers stick together."

Hinata stepped away from Sakura until she stood a few feet across from Neji and just stared at him for a moment, a look of pity on her face before she spoke. "For years, I wanted to re-cultivate some sort of sibling relationship with you but you are too blinded by your arrogance and your dislike of me for something I had no control that you destroyed each and every chance at any chance of happiness."

Hinata took off her jacket, revealing her tight black shirt before she said "And I am sick of it. Sick of your demeaning words. Sick of your pompous air. It offends me that you continue to act high and mighty against someone just because of your status as a "prodigy". I may be a princess but I treat people by who they are. Not by what they so I wish to challenge you."

She could see surprise on Neji's face before it melted into a smirk. "You are issuing me a cha-"

"I am not finished," Hinata hissed out, a dangerous gleam in her eye. "I am challenging you to Kombat. If I win, not only will you get your head out of your ass and start to become the kind boy you used to but you will apologize to not only me, but to everyone you belittled because of your own pathetic attitude."

"And if I win?" Neji asked.

Hinata gave a smirked and replied "I'll give you what you always wanted. Me."

"W-What?" Neji stammered out.

"I'm sorry, what?" Kiba asked, a weird look on his face.

"I know that you've wanted me underneath your control for years. You want to feel power over me because of your own issues with being in the house branch while I reign from the main."

Hinata's smirk then widened and said "You feel that it is unfair that the "prodigy" of the mighty Hyūga clan is treated lower than dirty while the "weakling" prospers as the princess so…If you win, you get me as your servant. At your beck and call…For me to do anything that you desire. I'll even be generous and let you attack first and I won't use my Byakugan."

"I accept," Neji said. "I finally get the chance to beat you into the ground like you deserve."

"Hinata, I don't think this is a good idea," Ino said but Hinata looked back at her and gave her a smile, her hand caressing Ino's cheek, which made the platinum blonde's face heat up at the suddenness of it.

"I'll be fine," Hinata cooed. "He's not winning at all."

"O-Ok," Ino squeaked out, flustered.

When did Hinata become so…that?

The Hyūga princess smiled at her before she turned around and said to Neji "Now, when you're ready…Strike."

"Um…A thought occurs," Kiba said to Chōji, Shikamaru and Shino, who all glanced at him curiously. "So Hinata just challenged Neji and we aren't doing anything…Why is that?" Kiba questioned.

"It's simple…Neji is going to lose," Shikamaru said.

"You can tell that?" Chōji asked, surprised.

"Look at Hinata's posture," Shikamaru said.

Hinata looked relaxed, as if she was enjoying the breeze, a knowing smile on her face. "She looks relaxed. As if she is in her element. She looks so comfortable that I'm getting relaxed."

Kiba did notice that she didn't look at all concerned about what was going on. "But despite her relaxed state, her eyes aren't leaving Neji's form and while she looks relaxed, she is ready to strike him down with a quickness. The last time I saw this was…A long time ago," Shikamaru explained.

"Sakura-san, mind starting off this match?" Hinata asked.

"R-Right now?" Sakura stammered out. "We are in the middle of the road."

"All the more reason to start it now so it can end quickly," Hinata said.

Sakura, albeit hesitantly, nodded and ran to the middle of the road andsaid "And begin the fight!"

"I'll make sure to end this quickly, Byakugan!" Neji shouted, thick veins appearing on the corner of his eyes as he dashed forward. As Hinata promised, she stayed rooted to her spot while Neji ran up and slammed his palm into her stomach but to his shock, she didn't move at all.

Didn't even register whether the hit affected her or not.

But how could that be?

He put all of his power behind that blow to end it there but…

He looked straight into Hinata's eyes and found a grim look in them then there was an explosion of agonizing pain in his own stomach. He found himself skidding backwards before he fell onto his knees and coughed up blood.

What had happened?

Neji looked up to her and saw Hinata move her left arm back to her side with her index and middle finger, a relaxed grin on her face.

Neji got back to his feet and ran towards her again and launched another palm, this time to her face but she effortlessly pushed his palm away from his target and then again, a cruel pain shocked his system, this time in his side and he went slamming into the ground and more blood was coughed out.

 _'W-What is…'_ Neji thought, his head in a daze due to the intense pain.

"I struck your kidney and liver," Hinata said as Neji knelt on the ground before her, agony coursing through his body. "If you continue, I will take your life. Submit Neji. There is no shame in that."

"I-I refuse!" Neji roared as he rose to his feet and began to rain down Juken strikes at a rapid pace, trying to strike her but she flowed against his movements with speed he had never seen before in his life.

What was going on?

Why couldn't he strike her?!

Neji leaned back to hit her with his right palm but suddenly, he was struck in the chest three times and he could feel blood pour from the three spots. "Three ribs," Hinata whispered while Neji stumbled backwards.

"Y-You could barely land a blow on Hanabi just weeks ago…You shouldn't be able to do this," Neji stammered out shakily. "I am a p-prodigy of the Hyūga clan. You shouldn't be able to do this to me!"

"No Neji, I can and I am," Hinata said as she took a step forward. "You see, I have always been this skilled. I've always been powerful but I have my mother's heart and many see that as a weakness. I've heard what my father, my sister and the council say about me. How my kindness is my Achilles' heel."

Hinata gave him a look of pity and said "You and they call me weak for staying my hand against my sister. My small, adorable sister. The final gift my mother gave my family before she passed on. I wouldn't dare hurt her."

Hinata spat on the ground in disgust then said "Then they ask of me to spare against you. The person I saw as my older brother. The person I used to admire. The person that has hurt me time and time again because of Hyūga Hizashi's death when I was four years old!"

Neji felt a sharp tug at his heart from his father's name then anger at Hinata from saying it. "You have no r-right to say hi-"

"I have every right!" Hinata exclaimed. "He was my uncle and I loved him as a second father. Hell, he was better than my own father. If you allowed yourself to see past your anger, you would have seen how devastated I was when he died. How I blamed myself for his death. And when I looked towards you, you abandoned me."

Neji could hear the pain in Hinata's voice at this point.

She truly felt this way?

"I was a child of four years old, kidnapped out of my home…betrayed and left behind my clan. Called weak and inferior to you and my sister when I never wanted to hurt any of you because I cared for you both but apparently, having a heart for your family is deemed weakness in their eyes…" Hinata told him her voice becoming scorn filled.

"But no more. It is time I show them who they left behind as the "weakling" princess of the Hyūga clan! And you will be the first to feel what an unchained Hyūga Hinata can do!" Hinata roared out before she dashed, her body glowing with particles of cobalt blue flowing around her before her form flickered.

Neji then felt a dozen quick, hard strikes land against his body so hard, he could feel a force escaping his back with each strike. Hinata's form appeared behind him in the air and slammed her left knee into the back of his neck twice, sending him stumbling forward, his vision blurring.

Hinata landed on the ground and dashed towards his back and slammed her right index and middle just inches from his neck, causing a beam of chakra to shoot from the crook of his neck.

All was silent as the Uzumaki Naruto Genin squad looked at her in shock, as well as many of the civilians around them, unable to look away from the sight. "I could have killed you Neji. If I had aimed just a little bit to the left, I could have separated your skull from your spine, decapitating you from the inside. But I couldn't," Hinata whispered into his ear.

"Because deep inside of that arrogant heart is the old you, the Neji I saw as my older brother. But you need to let your hatred of me go. I need you to realize that I am not your enemy and I never have been. At the end of the day, I am just a lonely Hyūga princess, wanting her brother and sister back," Hinata lowered her head, one single tear falling from her eye.

But then she looked up, her face hardened and determined as she told him "Do you know why they also say I am weak? It is because they want to keep me from completing my dream of uniting the Hyūga clan as one without any seals to hold them back, like Hiashi and like you…If they can cripple my self esteem and make me weak, they can keep hurting our family. I want a world where all of us can be under the Hyūga banner together without the asterisk next to our name. But in order to complete my dream, I cannot allow myself to look weak any longer to you or them…So get your head out of your ass and help me unite them together."

Hinata removed her finger from the point of impact and seconds later, Neji's eyes faded away and he fell face first to the ground, unconscious but the last thing he heard was "Think about what I said…If not, I will make you see my dream realized. One hit at a time..."

* * *

Rain: And that is where I will end this chapter. The next chapter will continue on with Hinata and then we start the new arc with Naruto and friends known as… "Return of the Dragon Prince." So until then…

Mario: See you next time!


	22. Chapter 22

Reaper Naruto: Hellfire-Nii. Are you ready for your new chapter?

Hellfire Naruto: Not really…I'm a little bit worried about Hisako though.

Reaper Naruto: The village or the spirit?

Hellfire Naruto: Village. I mean, did you see the chapter before last? A new threat has entered. I wonder what will happen when she decides to strike and there is no telling what will occur with Haku, Tayuya and I. And what happened between Hinata and Neji blew my mind. What's going to happen there?

Reaper Naruto: If anyone can handle it, it's going to be you. I think you'll be ok.

Victoria: *walks up to Reaper Naruto with strawberry milkshake* here you go Reaper-kun.

Reaper Naruto: Thanks Victoria-chan *takes milkshake*

Hellfire Naruto: What? No milkshake for me?

Victoria: Sorry. I didn't know if you wanted one. I can go snag another one for you at Ernie's juice bar if you want?

Hellfire Naruto: Nah, I'm good. I just hope everyone in Hisako will be ok. It would kill me if any of them were hurt because of the new threat of Kin/Tanya.

Zack: *slings arm around Hellfire Naruto's shoulder* it'll all be just fine my friend. I mean, it could be worse. You could be in the middle of battle, not knowing the outcome like I am with Trini right now in my fanfic

Victoria: Meanwhile, Me, Kate and Chloe are in a high speed chase which hasn't been resolved yet in my fanfic. Not to mention Shepard and the crew are gearing up for their double mission and Jasper is in the middle of shit with the other vampires in Canada (Reaper Naruto: What's Canada?). We are all in precarious situations but we'll make it out of it.

Hellfire Naruto: True…I suppose things could be worse. I feel slightly better now. *Stands up* Well, I am ready for the new chapter!

Zack and Victoria: Enjoy the show!

* * *

 **Forged in Hellfire: Lost Soul Reborn**  
 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Blossoming love! A New Quest**

 **Village of Hisako**  
 **U. N Hunting Squad**  
 **Hyūga Hinata**

"Of all of the idiotic things you could have done, this has taken the cake!"

Hinata glanced up at Asuma's angered form with a bored expression on her face. Almost immediately after her fight with Neji, the group of Jōnin had returned just to see him flop to the ground.

Since then, she had been listening to Asuma rage nonstop while the other Jōnin watched on with blank expressions in a hotel room and it was truly beginning to get on her nerves. "I challenged him to a fair fight with nothing held back between us," Hinata explained slowly. "Neji would tell you the same thing so why are you so vexed?"

"Because I am trying to understand the reasoning as to why you would challenge another Konoha shinobi on foreign grounds," Asuma replied. "It couldn't have waited until after we succeeded our mission? And to make it worse, you injured him to where he is forced on bedrest for the next two weeks. If not for Kurenai and her healing jutsu, it could have taken a full month. Now you have hindered our miss-"

"And I'm done," Hinata said suddenly, making the other Jōnin look to her. "I have listened to you blather on and on and your voice has annoyed me to no end."

Hinata stood up from the bed and then said "For a very long chunk of my life, Neji has belittled me, humiliated me and hurt me time and again, each time causing me to be weak to not only my clan but to my self-esteem as well…I gave him mercy."

"Oh, I didn't think mercy includ-" Asuma began

"Do not interrupt," Hinata said coldly to Asuma. "Had it been any other Hyūga, they would have killed him on the spot for his insolence. I even tried to get him to stand down when he met his better in myself. I spared him a fate of death. Did I go about it too roughly? I did but Neji is a headstrong idiot and refused to stand down so in order for him to see the truth, I had to break his pride and if that meant injuring him like this, so be it."

Hinata then gave a tiny yawn and added "As for the mission, if Gai-san is willing; he and his team can stay behind while we continue forward to complete our objective. I believe you were trying to convince Kurenai-sensei to do the same thing when I was unconscious, no?"

"How did you kn-" Asuma began but Hinata held up her hand.

"You were practically yelling at her for not doing it," Hinata responded coolly. "Even a deaf person could hear your Neanderthal yelling. Now to you Gai-san. Are you willing to stay behind while we continue the mission?"

"Not at all Hinata-chan!" Gai said with a wide smile. "As much as I dislike saying it, Neji has been very un-youthful towards everyone because of his rookie of the year status as well as being the prodigy of the Hyūga clan. With this loss, I feel that this shall be the thing that opens his eyes!"

"Gai, you can't be considering the words of a genin," Asuma said as he turned to Gai.

"I have and I agree with her. The mission is important and we are in a safe village. I foresee nothing happening here so I am willing to stay behind while you all go forward," Gai replied honestly.

"Are you sure about this?" Kakashi asked.

"Very sure my eternal rival," Gai said cheerfully.

Asuma shook his head and said "Whoa, whoa. We can't just leave him behind. We are a squad Gai. You know that we don't leave our own behind."

"We all know that if push comes to shove, I am able to defeat even the strongest shinobi. If any of us would stay behind, it would be my team. Besides, what is the worst that can happen?" Gai questioned with a grin on his face.

"Thank you Gai-san," Hinata said sweetly before she glanced to Asuma, who looked gob smacked at the entire exchange and said "So, I believe that is all there is to it. Anything else you would like to say?"

When silence met her response, Hinata said "With that said, I bid you all farewell," With a patronizing pat on Asuma's arm, Hinata walked out of the room, leaving the Jōnin alone, barely able to catch Anko saying _"Dude, you just got owned by a genin!"_

* * *

 **Flashback – Village of Wave**  
 **U. N Hunting Squad**  
 **Haruno Sakura**

 _Sakura frowned at the Hyūga and_ said _"You are envious of him."_

 _"E-Excuse me?" Neji asked the Haruno female with a stammer._

 _"You heard what I said," Sakura said, her voice still strong. "You are envious that a supposed "Dead Last" was able to not only able to become a shinobi but he has a village fawning over him as their savior. He managed to beat a powerful shinobi along with Zabuza and managed to sway Zabuza's apprentice to his side, while also saving the lives of Sasuke, Sakura_ and _his Jōnin sensei, Hatake Kakashi as well as Zabuza and his apprentice."_

 _Sakura then covered her mouth laughed as she_ said _"He has managed to do more in his short time as a shinobi than you have in a year."_

 _"You dare?!" Neji shouted as he rose from his seated position sharply but it was then Sakura stood up as well with her fists balled up._

 _"I spent years putting Naruto through hell. All of us have. I swore I would never allow anyone to speak lowly_ about _him ever again and if that means fighting my fellow Konoha shinobi, I will," Sakura said with narrowed eyes._

 _Neji seethed but then his eyes widened as a look of realization appeared on his face. He let out a laugh. "I see it now. I see why you defend him so viciously...You're in love with him."_

 _Sakura blinked, the fire within her being snuffed out immediately_ from _his words._

 _"W-W-What?" Sakura breathed out, shock etched on her face._

 _"I can see it all over your face. You're in love with him," Neji taunted with a smirk on his face._

* * *

 **End Flashback – Village of Hisako**  
 **U. N Hunting Squad**  
 **Haruno Sakura**

 _'Am I…Am I truly in love with him?'_ Sakura thought to herself as she looked at her hands in thought.

Ever since her encounter with Neji in Wave, she had been replaying the entire conversation she had with him and still didn't know the answer.

 **"I mean…Would that be so wrong?"** Inner Sakura asked with a tilt of her head. **"I mean, look at him** **. He's hella hot! He's kind, can be a bit of dork but that's super cute. He's strong. Stronger than Sasuke in fact. He has a determined air around him and he's a hard worker. And look at how happy everyone in Wave and now Hisako is. He's a hero. An honest to Kami hero!"**

 _'He is…'_ Sakura said in agreement, not even aware she was responding to her inner self. _'But he's my friend. I should view him as such…Not like I have been viewing him…'_

 **"I mean, I don't think he would mind us having lewd dreams about him. I mean, that last one still has me hot and bothered,"** Inner Sakura replied as she fanned herself off, making Sakura blush.

 _'But he's my friend…The friend I just made back after putting him through all that pain,'_ Sakura whined mentally. _'I shouldn't be thinking about him in that manner…I shouldn't be thinking about how I want him by my side or how much I care about him. Not after what I did…And besides, he has…her…'_

Sakura didn't realize it but there was a slight bitter tone in her voice when she thought about Haku.

Because of Haku, Naruto had died that day on the bridge and while she was thankful it did happen because it made Sakura realize her depth of her hurting Naruto, she still was angry that it took Naruto's death to make it happen.

But if Sakura was really truthful with herself, she found herself envious of Haku. Envious of the fact that Naruto had fallen in love with her but could she blame him? After the rough life he had of being bullied and ridiculed, he fell in love with the first person that showed him kindness.

And he deserved someone that made him happy. Besides…She liked Sasuke. Has for years…Just because her mind has been on Naruto didn't mean she stopped liking Sasuke…right?

 **"Don't be a moron,** " Inner Sakura replied. **"Ever since we apologized to Naruto that day, us liking Sasuke dropped. Hell, can you even remember the last time you called him 'Sasuke-** kun **?'"**

Sakura opened her mouth to answer but then she closed it.

The last time she called him "Sasuke-kun" was before Wave…

Hell, she didn't even call him that when she just thought about him.

 **"When was the last time you thought about him? Worried about him?"** Inner Sakura asked.

 _'Since…before Wave…'_ Sakura replied.

 **"Now when was the last time you thought about Naruto-** kun **?"** Inner Sakura asked.

When hadn't she thought of Naruto?

From the moment she woke up to the moment she went to sleep, Naruto remained on her mind. She would think of his goofy moments, his pranks and his lame jokes to his warmth, his smile and how friendly he was.

She would think about his determination and how hard he worked and how much of a beacon of hope he had become to the people in Wave and now in Hisako.

She thought about the guilt and the anger she felt at herself and Konoha for how they treated him. She thought about the sadness she felt at the thought of him being sad and alone or how he had suicidal thoughts, from what he had told her back in Wave.

It was then she realized something.

If Naruto had stayed dead in Wave…She wouldn't have the chance to laugh at his goofy pranks or chased him around if he said something dumb or see his heart warming smile.

Just thinking of the thought made tears fall from Sakura's eyes.

She couldn't bare living in a world without Naruto in it.

"Oh my god…I think I'm in love with Naruto…" Sakura breathed out, stunned by her vocal admission.

"Out of all the things I was going to talk to you about, I didn't think this was going to be the one," Hinata's voice rang out.

Sakura's head snapped up to see a coy looking Hinata leaning against her door. "So…You're in love with Naruto-kun? And here I thought I was the only one."

"Hinata-chan! Um…Um…" Sakura stammered before she lowered her head and sighed before she replied "Yeah…I just realized it myself."

Sakura watched as Hinata pushed herself off of the door frame and walked to her bed and sat beside her. "It is strange isn't it? Finding out that your heart was stolen," Hinata said as she smiled wistfully. "Naruto-kun has had my heart since he saved me from some bullies. I was always too shy to tell him though. I always watched from the shadows though. Admiring him and wishing to be with him."

"We always knew you liked him but why didn't you try to talk to him? He would have loved someone to be his friend," Sakura asked, slightly angry at this reveal.

Naruto would have killed to know someone liked him and wanted to be with him.

Hinata sighed and replied "Anytime I did talk to him, my guardian would always come out of nowhere to stop it. The Hyūga clan has made no qualms of showing their dislike of him. It sickens me to my core. And because of my low self-esteem, they made me believe he wouldn't want to be my friend…"

Sakura nodded, her anger falling. It was no secret that Hinata didn't have the best self-esteem out there up until recently. "I always wanted Naruto-kun to be happy, no matter so when I found out that he was a hero in Wave and even found a girlfriend, I was happy for him. Jealous of the girlfriend, but happy."

"So why are you so hell bent on finding him? Out of all of us, you have been spearheading the search for him?" Sakura asked.

"I have two reasons. The first is to tell him how I feel. The second…" Hinata balled up her fist and said "I wish to test myself against him in Kombat."

"Whoa, you want to fight him?!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise.

Hinata gave her a mysterious smile in reply and said "Yes…On the few times we spoke, we made a promise to test our skills on one another…I intend to keep my word."

Sakura felt that there was more to Hinata's story than that but she accepted it with a nod and said "Well I hope we find him soon. I…I will tell him how I feel about him as well."

 _'And hopefully…He'll stay safe until then…'_ Sakura added mentally.

* * *

 **Shinobi Nations**  
 **Team Uzumaki**  
 **Uzumaki Naruto**

"Man, we've been walking forever!"

Naruto turned to look at Tayuya with an amused grin on his face. "We are drifters. It's what we do."

Tayuya placed her hands behind her head and said "If we don't take a break soon, I'm going to start sweating like a prostitute checking herself for an STD."

"Wow," Haku replied dryly as she walked beside her.

Naruto couldn't help himself and busted out laughing. "That is amazing," Naruto said through his laughs before he looked to Haku and said "I didn't regret her joining before that but now? I really don't."

"See, he likes me," Tayuya chirped out happily to Haku, who smiled in reply. The trio of shinobi had been walking for a while now and despite there being no end in sight for the road, the three were in very high spirits.

"So Blond," Tayuya began.

"Yeah Red?" Naruto replied.

"Cute," Tayuya retorted before she said "So other than travel around on foot and save villages, what are your likes?"

"Well, I love Haku-chan," Naruto replied instantly, which made Haku blush deeply and Tayuya snicker. "Ramen, training, training, did I mention training?"

"Gee, did you?" Tayuya asked with a snarky tone.

"I do also tend to enjoy saving villages as of late but I'm hoping that I get a break from that at some point. Otherwise it'll take the fun out of it," Naruto joked.

"I doubt you will. Heroics seem to find you well, Naruto-kun," Haku giggled out.

Without warning, a large explosion appeared in front of them and three figures came shooting out of the forest beside them and collided into them.

The first person was dark skinned male with bright white spiky hair and he wore a dark outfit consisting of an overlong shirt with a hood, with red bandage hand guards, shin guards, and a black forehead protector along with a flak jacket with a long sword on his back.

The second person was a fair skinned woman with blond shoulder-length hair that was cut in an asymmetrical bob style and she wore a very low-cut outfit which displays her sizeable cleavage, with mesh armor underneath, a short skirt and red hand guards, high boots, and what appears to be a modified flak jacket that covers her stomach only, similar to a girdle with tantō strapped horizontally to her lower back.

The last person was a dark skinned female with a long spiky red hair and she wore a long, short-sleeved dress with frilly edges complete with a flak jacket, two simple yellow earrings, fishnet stockings, thigh-high boots with white soles and a forehead protector which she wears like a bandanna with a long sword on her back.

And all three of them had smoke rising from their bodies.

"What the hell?" Naruto asked as he removed the unconscious male to the ground carefully while Haku and Tayuya removed the two women from on top of them.

Seconds later, three shinobi stepped out of the clearing, each of them wearing dull yellow robes and leather gauntlets and shin guards on their feet, their faces covered in a large white mask that was styled after a dragon.

"We are servants of a glorious god known as the Dragon Prince and he requires your souls to bring him back to our world," One of the robed shinobi said with a flourish of his hands.

"And you three have now been chosen as a worthy sacrifice!" the second robed man exclaimed.

"So come with us and we will make the sacrifice quick," the third robed shinobi said, his voice holding a cold edge within it.

"And if we say no?" Naruto asked with a smirk, a deadly gleam in his eyes as hellfire began to form in his right hand.

"We will kill yo-" Without warning, Naruto lunged his hand forward and a spear made of hellfire shot through the throat of the leading shinobi, causing his words to gurgle out. Naruto then smirked and pulled out his spear, ripping out the shinobi's voice box and catching it with his bare hand.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that all too well…" Naruto said, his smirk still in place as he dropped the voice box and then stepped on it. "It seems you lost your voice."

 **"Wow…It seems Johnny Cage has rubbed off on you,"** Kyūbi said with amusement.

 _'…Damn it. He would be laughing in his grave if he found that out,'_ Naruto replied with an inward grimace, keeping the smirk on his face in real life.

The shinobi took a staggering step backwards while pawing at his throat before falling backwards to the ground.

Haku quickly pulled out two senbon and shot them at the second robed shinobi, nailing him in right and left leg, disabling before tossing a final senbon at his neck, knocking him unconscious.

Tayuya launched herself forward and landed chakra enhanced left knee into the third shinobi's face, sending him into the ground before ramming a kunai into his head, instantly killing him.

"Man, that was really easy," Tayuya said as she stood up on her two feet. "And nice job with the taunt Blond. I couldn't have said it better myself."

"Far too kind. I Naruto said before he looked to Haku and said "Good job Haku-chan on disabling the target."

"I live to please," Haku responded before Naruto shared a brief kiss to her lips, which she gladly returned. Naruto then looked to the three unconscious shinobi and summoned five clones and said "You four will carry the unconscious. You two will search for a village pronto."

The two nodded and quickly dashed away while the other four grabbed the unconscious shinobi. Meanwhile, Naruto and Tayuya looked to a sheepish looking Haku with blank looks on their faces.

"Well how I was I supposed to know that was going to happen?" Haku asked with a pout.

"Mhmm," The two said in unison before slowly turning away, making Haku pout more behind them.

A few minutes passed when the clone returned and said "There is a village nearby. It's a thirty minute trek at the crossroads ahead."

"Good job," Naruto said before he said "Well then, let's move out. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can see what is going on with these guys."

* * *

Hellfire Naruto: Who the hell are these guys?!

Reaper Naruto: New allies perhaps?

Victoria: Only time will tell. Now come on Rearper-kun. We have a date to get to.

Reaper Naruto: Oh shoot. Later Hellfire-Nii!

Hellfire Naruto: Man, these fanfiction crossovers are insane. I wonder what will happen next.

Ron-Pool: * battling Liu Kang in the background* its not your time to appear yet!

Liu Kang: No one tells me when it is my time or not!

Zack: *pats hellfire's shoulder* It's going to be bad. I just know it.

Hellfire Naruto: Yeah…*sighs* until next time!


End file.
